Moving On
by SheandHer
Summary: They peer into the darkness together,and what do they see? A brighter tomorrow? Or a future laden with demons? Booth and Brennan learn to let go after troublesome times and move on. Set After The Season Five Finale. Completely AU. REMEMBER GOLDEN RULE!
1. Brennan

**They peer into the darkness together...and what do they see? A brighter tomorrow? Or a future laden with demons? Booth and Brennan learn to let go after troublesome times and _move on. _(Set After The Season Five Finale) (Completely AU).**

**Story co-authored by "SheandHer" (She=Mini-Em/FormerMissAussie91 (FF/Youtube)), Her=TheLovelyBones1, BeautifullyTragic4 (FF/Youtube).**

**Disclaimer: We do not own the lovely characters of Bones, if we did Booth and Brennan would be married, live in a white house and picket fence and have three children. (She: Or more than three…)**

**This will be a multi-chapter story. Each chapter alternating between Brennan and Booth's point of view.**

**Brennan: Written By "She," Booth: Written By: "Her."**

**And without further ado, we present to you: "Moving On." Happy Reading!**

**"_Love is stronger than death...even though it cannot prevent it from happening. No matter how hard death tries, it cannot tear people from love, it cannot dissolve the memories, erase the happiness, elminate the tears. In the end, life proves stronger.__.."_**

**BRENNAN**

I'm still processing the news. I should be used to it, or more used to it, I should say. But still, nothing has ever hurt me this much. Not even my mother's death or my parent's disappearance was this painful. It's him. He's dead.

For the past two days I've done nothing but cry. I haven't eaten and I haven't slept for more than 10 minutes at a time; each session of sleep providing a new scenario of his death.

"Sweetie? Are you in here?" Angela is on call today. When I couldn't even talk to Cam on the phone the other day without starting to tear up, when she had asked me if I was eating and sleeping properly and when I had tried lying, she and Angela decided on making a schedule where they take turns looking after me. I would have objected, but I can't stand being alone.

"In here." I manage to say. I'm sitting on my bed and I am staring at the wall.

She brings me some soup that I probably won't eat.

"Thinking about anything interesting?" She asks when she traces my eyes, and I look down instead.

"He's not here." I say. She knows but I say it anyway.

She pats my back and leaves me alone for a while.

I can't believe it's only been four days since I found out; they found his dog-tags, and he's probably dead. _Probably._ That's not very comforting. I aborted my mission in Maluku immediately. I couldn't focus. It felt like a part of me was missing. It felt like I was going to die. It doesn't feel like that short amount of time has passed though. To me, it feels like weeks. Maybe a month. I can't stand it. I hate it.

I remember the call. I was in the middle of a dig. Miss Wick kept annoying me, and I didn't think twice before accepting the call. She's good, but annoying. I accepted the phone call from the assistant.

"_Hello?" I said. I expected Booth's voice. They had said it was from the military. _

"_Ms Brennan?" A voice had said. It was old and raspy. _

"_Yes?" My heart slowed down. _

"_I'm sorry to have to tell you that Master Sergeant Booth went missing during a routine exercise and most of his fellow soldiers were found dead. His dog-tags and parts of his uniform were found close by. I'm sorry, but we have to presume he's dead."_

"_What?" I couldn't breathe. _

"_He's probably deceased, Ms." The man on the other end said. _

_I stood there with the phone in my hand, my arm dropping to my side. No. The man was lying. It couldn't be. No way. Booth did not die. A world without him is unimaginable. No. It couldn't be. _

"Sweetie?" Angela brings me back to the present. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." I say and look at her. "Why?"

"Because you kept repeating the word "no" over and over again."

I say nothing.

"I ran you a bath. I suggest you take one and relax."

I follow her suggestion and as I'm lying there, I think about how easy it would be to just slip under the water and never come back.

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	2. Booth

**BOOTH**

I don't know where I am.

I was brought here with a bag over my head and my head pounding furiously. I soon realize that my dog tags are missing as soon as I try to move.

The others must think I'm missing. Or dead. I'm not sure which is worse.

"Booth." A man says. They have removed the bag but the people in front of me swim before my eyes in a blurry haze. I can tell he's got an accent, Middle Eastern, but I don't know where he is from. If Bones was here, she would know. But she's not. She's in some island doing anthropology-stuff.

"Where are the others?" I ask as soon as the man is visible to me.

"Dead." he says simply. I can't tell his heritage now either. "And they think you are too."

The man is sharpening a knife as he speaks to me.

"And why aren't I?" I try to ignore my head pounding and all I can think about is what I did. Or what I didn't do.

The man just looks at me and I keep thinking about what I did say to Bones. She's my best friend and I love her, but the feeling isn't mutual. Despite that, I should have at least hugged her in that airport. And now I can't even do that. I might never get to hug her again.

"The reason you're here, Booth…" The man says again. "Is because you're the best. The others were not needed and were therefore, disposed of."

I just stare at the man. How can someone be so cruel and just slaughter men without a second thought? I know this is a war, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.

"You are the best." The man continues as I look at him. "Hence, we need you"

It's useless to negotiate with a man like this, I've been taught. They won't listen to me, one single solider. They would need actual empirical evidence of what they want before there's even the slightest chance that he will let me go.

All I can do right now is pray that I get out of this alive.

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	3. Brennan 2

_**Okay, so here's the next chapter :) Brennan's up this time. It's not all that long, but I hope you enjoy it and please press the little button in the end to leave a review =)**_

**Brennan**

"Sweetie, come on, get up." Angela says and bangs the door for the fifth time, and believe me, if I could get up, I would. My legs refuse to move. It's like someone severed my central nervous system from my peripheral nervous system.

I lay in the bath and the water's getting cold. I need to get out of here soon or I'm going to suffer hypothermia or something. But I can't.

"Okay." Angela is now in the bathroom with a screwdriver in one hand. "I know that you're taking this hard and I know that this isn't your usual grieving process where you go off to some unpronounceable country and bury yourself in work, but this is unacceptable. You can't just wander around like a ghost."

I just look at her. I wonder if she could possibly understand what I feel and that no matter how much I try, I'm incapable of physical movement.

"Come on, Bren." She says and crosses her arms. "Please get out of the tub. You've been in there for about an hour and a half by now. The water must be freezing."

I look at her and I think she understands that I can't move because she grabs a towel, sighs and says: "Come here."

She helps me up and puts the towel around me. We walk to my bedroom and I put my pajamas on again. I'm not in any kind of state to go out and do anything anyway.

I hate feeling like this; lonely and paralyzed…sad too. It's not me and I want to do something about it, but instead, I lie there with absolutely no muscles working properly in my body.

I crawl in to my bed again and lie facing the empty part of my bed.

I hear Angela place something on my bedside table. She walks around to the other side and sits down on the bed.

"Angela, I'm sorry for acting like this."

She looks at me.

"You know, for being such a big baby and all."

"You're not being a big baby, but sometimes you can be difficult." She says.

I try to smile but I can't tell If I'm smiling or not. I feel something wet against my pillow and I realize my eyes are tearing up. I'm not crying but the tears start to stream down my face and I feel a tear on the tip of my nose. Angela takes a napkin and starts to dab off my face but it's not doing much. The tears are still coming.

"Sweetie, you're grieving. I understand that. But soon you're going to move on."

She says it with the best intention, but I don't think I want to.

_**That's it for Brennan's part! Her should be posting the next part in a few days :) Please review. It takes less than a minute and if it is a nice comment, it makes us happy for a whole day :) **_


	4. Booth 2

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**BOOTH**

"Now, now don't look at me like that, Master Sergeant Booth." He mutters in a sarcastic tone.

He continues to sharpen the deadly knife in his hand, purposely grazing his index finger over the weapon's edge. Blood immediately drips down the blade. "Ah yes, this will do…" he whispers to himself.

I never lower my dangerous gaze from his. I will not admit vulnerability, though I am tied tightly to a chair in the middle of a room with a dirt floor. I will not play a part in his game, though I am a gambler. Correction, used to be…Here I sit, completely alone…

"You look at me as though I have committed a terrible wrong. As if I am at fault." He says, leaning against the wall, admiring his knife and staring at me.

"Well forgive me…sir," The last word is almost impossible for me to say, "but you just admitted to me that you are responsible for the murder of my men…" All of my malice and anger stressed in those last syllables. "You see in my country, a place of honor, something you wouldn't understand, we would call that premeditated murder. And I mean, come on, we all know that murderous bastards end up rotting away in some jail cell."

He laughs quietly. "Then can you tell me why you aren't in solitary confinement this very minute?"

I don't answer. I can't let my exterior crumble. I'm tough…

"I hope your firearm knowledge and snipers skills are as sharp as your reasoning skills." He taunts.

My silence pierces the room; it seems louder than any curse I could throw at him.

"Listen carefully Agent Booth," as the familiar title leaves his lips, my glare intensifies. "Yes, I know quite a lot about you. Far more than you realize." He starts pacing.

"Booth, I am a noble man, a man of power, a man who knows what he needs to claw his way to the top. When I see something or someone I need, I seize the opportunity."

"And am I the person in this instance?" I say.

He laughs sardonically. "No, no. You are the 'something' in this instance; a mindless killing machine is exactly what I need." My eyes grow even darker at his snide remark.

"You never fail. Come now, it is time you've decided where your true loyalty lies. Join me Booth and you will ensure that the race worthy of victory wins this war. That other's ignorance will be cut away…"

"I will never betray my country." I spit back at him.

"Well let me rephrase this. Dr. Temperance Brennan is a fine woman…"

The minute the beautiful name leaves his lips, the anger inside me swells like fire. Her name sounds strange on his foreign tongue.

_Bones…_

"Now wouldn't she want you to make the most rational decision here? You wouldn't want her to suffer as a direct result of your inability to cooperate would she?"

As he talks on I am loosening my bonds. I have already assessed the windowless room and realize that the door to my right is the only exit. It looks easy enough to break down.

"_Hey, break down the door." "It hurts my shoulder when I break down the door…" _

I need to keep him talking.

"Don't you dare." I manage to say.

"I don't think you are in the position to be making threats here…" He begins to walk towards me, all the while dragging his feet on the floor, so I choke on the thick air.

He bends down and his face is now inches away from mine….his breath smells of whiskey. "Choose now: fight for me…" The dagger he holds is dangerously close to my throat.

"Or face the consequences. The ones you care about will suffer a fate worse than death…."

In that moment I feel the tight ropes that were cutting deep into my flesh break. That's when I whisper: "Go to hell."

With all the strength left in my battered body, I leap up from the chair and punch him in the face again and again. I feel bone shatter under my hand as he tumbles to the ground and I catch the knife as it plummets towards the dirt floor... Weapon in hand, I sprint to the door, but am caught off guard by a blinding pain in my calf. I look down and spot a thicker shorter knife in my leg, one that he must have had hidden within an ankle holster.

Ripping it from my flesh, blood cascades down my leg. I turn to run again and hear commands ring throughout the room. Two large men in unfamiliar army uniforms burst through the door- blocking my only escape route. I feel the wind knocked out of me and immediately see dots dancing in front of my eyes.

Three forms stand over me and all I can hear is: "That was very foolish. Make sure this doesn't happen again." With these words, sharp blows to my ribs cause my vision to fade in front of me. As suffocating darkness threatens to take me, the last image I see in my mind's eye is the radiant eyes of Bones.

Fighting bad guys with her, going to the diner with her, drinking with her, getting Chinese or Thai food to share, bickering with her, just spending time with her all seems like a faraway dream. My longing to touch her, to hold her hand, runs deep into my very Bones. _My Bones…_

_**As always, She should be posting the next Brennan installment in a few days ;) **_


	5. Brennan 3

**_Okay so here's the next part :) It's Brennan this time, meaning it's She who's talking :) Reviews would be awesome :) _**

**_Enjoy!_**

**Brennan**

It is a day after my apology to Angela, but it might as well have been hours. My actions are monotonous; sleeping, staying in bed, being forced to eat, staying in bed, sleeping.

I can hear Cam, who is taking care of me today, speaking to someone on the phone.

"I haven't known her as long as you…Well, does she normally act like this? When healing?... Do you think she'll come around soon?..." I shut off my ears to the rest of the conversation. I think she's talking to Angela and I don't want to hear anything more.

Instead my head is filled with his voice.

"_I don't do really good with change, I guess." He spoke to me.  
" Well, you're better than I am." I say.  
"The pyramids are better at change than you are. ...It's a joke. Hey, I was being affectionate."_

"_We're the center." he said  
"And the center must hold." I conclude._

Then I remember the most important words he spoke to me on the airport.

"_One year from today…"_

And I start to cry because that one year will never be. It will pass but we won't meet. The day will be there, but he won't.

God! There were so many things we should have done! I should have hugged him, or kissed him, or something! You don't let your best friend venture into a war-zone without a hug goodbye. I'm an idiot!

"Angela, I'm going to have to call you back…" Cam says. I figure she's in my doorway, or close to it anyway. "Something's wrong with Brennan…no, nothing major, just grief, I think."

I can feel her hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay." She says.

I just lay there. There's nothing else I can do.

My head spins around and I can't focus. For some reason, I'm tired. I don't know why. My eyes are starting to feel heavy and I drift off to sleep.

I wake up quickly. My forehead is moist. I dreamt I saw it. I saw him. Getting murdered. I have to get out of bed.

For some reason, my body decides to listen to my mind and actually get up, and I realize I have to go to the bathroom. My mind is elsewhere, until I get in to the kitchen.

Cam is standing over my kitchen counter. She's holding something in her hand. It's a Polaroid. Her mouth is covered by her hand and I come closer to try and see what she's so upset about.

She hears me coming and quickly hides the Polaroid.

"What is that?" I ask her.

"Oh, it's nothing." she says. I can tell she's been crying because her eyes are red and puffy.

"Show me." I demand.

"It's nothing." she says.

"Then why won't you let me see it?" I ask.

She sighs and mumbles something I can't hear and passes me the photo.

I stop breathing. I lose all balance. Suddenly, I'm a heap on the floor and I'm crying harder than I've done in years. Next to me is a picture of a Booth. But not the Booth I know. He's lying in a pool of blood and a machete is visible too; blood dripping from the blade. He's dead. He's really dead.

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	6. Booth 3

_**Hello all! Her here. And so...I present to you the next chapter of "Moving On," gaze into the mind of the one and only Seeley Booth ;) **_

**Booth **

My head is killing me. It feels like it's going to split down the middle. The world around me is dark. I don't seem to have the strength to open my eyes.

But then I smell the coppery scent of blood hanging heavy in the air. That's when I am jolted back to reality. I am immersed in a pool of crimson blood, my army fatigues are soaked in it.

Alarm and dread fills me. I lay on my back as if defeated. As though I am broken…no one could survive with this much blood loss…But wouldn't I be feeling more pain than already am? Maybe death once it has happened, is painless…

A chuckling sound above me interrupts my disorientation. "Don't worry, that's not your blood."

There he is, the man who has threatened me, threatened Bones, threatened my honor, shrouded in the blackness of the room. He directs his attention back to the machete he is cleaning. He admires it as he wipes away droplets of blood. It seems as if he is silently threatening me. As if he wants to inflict pain…

It's then that I am overwhelmed with a strong pain in my leg. I sit up and peer down at the wound, expecting to find blood flowing freely but am surprised that it has been cleaned and bandaged. This is the result of my pathetic attempt to escape.

"Well who's is it then?" My voice cracks and sounds unfamiliar to me. I try to stand, but can only sit upon my knees.

"That isn't your concern now, is it Booth? Let's just say that people are disposable. The weak are naturally sacrificed…Of course; I keep a record of those who have been discarded. Photographs prove to be most useful."

"So what I'm getting here is that when I kill every man on your 'hit list' then I'll be tossed into the garbage too?"

He clicks his tongue on the roof of his mouth. "Oh no no no. You are much too valuable for that. Your skills are indispensable. Which reminds me." His places the machete in his belt and his tone abruptly shifts into the language I scarcely recognize. Four men appear in my cell, massive guns loaded, all pointed directly at me from different angles.

"Booth you choose now. We do not want a replay of previous events…if that happens I will be forced to end you. What a waste that would be. Tonight is your first assignment. There is a man at the top of my list that needs to be taken care of."

My heart rate is quickening. I can't spot any way out of this.

"You do this or you die like a cowering dog on the floor. And Temperance Brennan's suffering will be unimaginable; I'll personally make sure of that." He severely whispers.

"She'll be in the cold hard ground right along with you, but not before we finish her slowly… painfully…"

I clench my fists, so the white of my knuckles are vivid in the dark.

I hang my head low. My life seems to flash before me in an instant. Foggy memories of Jared and I playing catch, my father threatening us with a jagged beer bottle, Pops making us Mac and Cheese, times with girls under the bleachers that eased the pain of my dysfunctional family, getting caught up in the duties of a sniper, becoming employed at the FBI, Rebecca refusing to marry me, the first time I held Parker, the moment I first saw Bones across a crowded lecture hall…the instant our lips touched for the first time, a wave of electricity, drenched in a curtain of rain, but somehow still warm. The last time I kissed her, tears overflowing, the pitiful goodbye I gave her at the airport…I wished I had kissed her on the forehead. Something, anything. It feels like it's all lost now.

"_You don't play at being a warrior, you are a warrior." _

Her voice rings in my ears and I remember that I'm a man who never gives up.

"_I knew you wouldn't give up." _

I know when to surrender, to fold when I don't hold any of the cards in a game. I'm not stupid. I look him directly in the eye and say: "Let's get started."

A menacing grin spreads across his face.

"Good. That's what I like to hear. Just know that when you are given a weapon, there are at least four guns pointed at you. Four to one, not the best odds for escape, even for you. Get the job done Booth."

His eyes narrow as he turns his attention to the others.

"See to it that he completes it, tonight." He curtly nods and they grab me roughly, shoving me out of the door into the consuming shadows of the night.

With guns jabbed in my back and side, I walk over uneven, sandy ground. At this point it feels like time never existed. As if the past was a figment of my imagination. As if Seeley Booth, honest, FBI alpha male, never existed. As if Dr. Temperance Brennan never…I breathe an unsteady, deep breath.

A moment of relief comes when a phantom breeze blows through this camp as I walk on.

"_Can ____they__ feel the crackle of the ____electricity__** i**__n the wind? Or are ____they only aware__ of the power ____they__generate between themselves?" _

She wouldn't give up. She's the main reason I walk on.

"_My most meaningful relationships are with dead people..."_

She had said that long ago. How wrong she had been.

I just hoped I could avoid that world we always talked about. We had escaped the world of the dead many times.

I couldn't let it take us now...

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	7. Brennan 4

_**A long chapter...Well, I have taken some creative liberties in this story, just so you know, and some things have never happened :)**_

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**Brennan**

I hear mumbles. I want to be able to focus on what is said but I can't. I'm a ghost.

Cam has helped me to my bed. My face is wet again and I wish for nothing more than my hands to work so I can wipe the tears off. But they don't, and my pillow gets soaked.

"…not just leave her…Why? She's catatonic!" I hear Angela say. "I can't leave my best friend when she's like this."

When did Angela get here? I can't remember. All I can think about is Booth. How he will never be here with me again. Never will he be able to make a stupid remark on anything I say again. Never will he be able to hug his son again. That last thought sends me in to another episode of manic crying.

"Come here sweetie." Angela says and gives me a huge hug. It's a small comfort but it's better than no comfort at all.

We stay in that position for a while until I've settled down a bit. The crying doesn't stop but at least I'm not hysterical anymore.

"I'm sorry." I say "I just can't believe it."

"Me neither. He seemed invincible to me."

"Me too" I say and Angela's shirt is now all wet.

"You're going to get through this. You're strong." She says.

It feels like she's lying. I'm not strong. I'm as weak as a piece of paper right now. Her hands wipe my face clean of tears and even though I appreciate it, it doesn't last. My eyes tear up again. And within two seconds, my face is wet again.

"_Listen, Bones, if I don't make it…I want you to have my stuff. You know, for a kid"_

I sit up straight. It's the middle of the night. I look at my alarm clock. 2:42 a.m.

I miss him. There's no denying it, and I begin to cry again.

I cry long and hard, and this time, nobody's here to comfort me. Angela left in the evening after I told her numerous times that I was fine. I was fine too. Then. Now is a whole other story and I wish someone was here with me. I would love for him to be here, but I know that's impossible. I need to get through this alone.

It's a hard task to conduct. I can't control my tears. The flood is persistent, no matter what I do.

The tears are still coming when I get out of bed. Unable to go to sleep, I wander to my closet, the one where all my clothes hang, and split the collection right down the middle and sweep them in different directions to reveal a dried rose. It's hanging upside down, and the reason it's in my closet is because I'm slightly embarrassed. The only reason I saved it was because of Booth.

He gave it to me once when we were walking to lunch in town. He saw it and decided to buy it for me.

"_You deserve a rose, Bones. For everything you do, you're worth hundreds of these."_

He told me that and that's the reason I kept it.

I remember when I got it; it looked like it was made of velvet. My velvet rose. I hung it to dry and now it doesn't look much like velvet anymore.

The smell was divine, but that too has faded now.

I take it out of the closet and sit down in my bed. I smell it. I can't decide if it is a nice smell or not.

I look at it. Why hold on to it? It's dead. I should throw it out and move on, but why haven't I? Why have I kept it? These questions spin in my head. I can't throw it away now, because that would be to throw a bit of him away.

Some might call it moving on, but I call it forgetting. And I don't want to forget. He was too important to me. I need to hold on to these things and never forget him. I need to treasure and cherish them in order to remember him as he was. I don't want to forget and I don't think I should have to. If part of moving on is forgetting, then I don't want to do that. I need to remember. For me.

Angela's here in the morning as well. The only reason she was here last night, even though it was Cam's day, was because Cam had to leave and didn't want me to be alone. She makes me breakfast that I reluctantly eat.

As I'm sitting here with my juice and nibbling on half a toast, I get to thinking. Angela wants me to move on. In my dictionary, moving on equals getting past him and ultimately forgetting him. I don't want to forget him. I wonder if I can do something that satisfies both parties. I can't think of anything except how much I miss him and want him to come back to me.

I come to a halt in the middle of a bite.

"Angela?" I ask and stare in to the table in front of me.

"What is it, Sweetie?" She asks me and puts away the newspaper.

"When you say moving on, do you mean get over him?" The words are hard to speak for me, but I get through them.

"Sure." She says insecurely "Sort of."

"I don't want that." I say and shake my head like a stubborn four year old.

"Okay?" It's a question, I think, but I'm not sure.

"But I know how I can do both."

She looks at me and I look up from my fixed point.

"I'm going to have a baby." I say.

Angela doesn't speak.

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	8. Booth 4

**_Hello friends! Your reviews are lovely! Quick note, things get a tad "heated" here. Sort of, I'm sure you can take it lol. Enjoy! _**

**Booth**

I am in the rush, immersed in dirt and sand. Each second the time to strike comes closer. I kneel down low to the ground. As quickly and quietly as I can, I move over rocks, each jagged one digs into me painfully. Something shining in the brush catches my eye. It's like my prayers have been answered. The ones watching me with hawk eyes cannot see as I skillfully conceal it.

I return my attention to my assignment. It has to be done; there's no other way out. I know that this blackmail is the only way I can be manipulated. This isn't right, this isn't real.

Sniper rifle in hand, my eyes scan the area before me and I spot him immediately. My target. These days, moments like this, everything feels like it spirals into slow motion, like the laws of time and space are nonexistent. I know if Bones heard me say that she'd laugh saying:

_"Booth, time__ is an essential part of mankind's measuring system. We use it to sequence events, to compare the duration and intervals between them, to quantify the motions of objects, etc. Time plays a major role in philosophy, religion and of course science. So I believe we can say it exists even though it has caused controversy among the world's most gifted scholars." _

Reminding myself of her is the only way I can stay sane. Keep my grip on reality…

I once again bring my focus back to the task at hand. Taking aim, pressure on trigger, bullet shatters skull and the man drops, the supposed enemy defeated. One more to check off the hit list. I feel sick. This was supposed to be a forgotten evil of my past. My life wasn't supposed to take this turn again.

Being moved to a secure location, I feel the eyes of four other gunmen surrounding me. I drop my firearm. They are here to escort me back to the camp. I've been here for months and tonight is the night a plan of ultimate escape can be set into motion…I'm pretty good at winging it.

"_I'm your gun." _

"_I'm that guy..., I know." _

I have to see her face again. I don't want to think about her thinking I'm dead. I hope I haven't been erased. Forgotten. This is Bones, she wouldn't forget me. Just like I could never forget her...It ends here, tonight.

The minute I walk onto the madman's territory, my current "boss," even more men approach me. They know I do not have the means to attack them or take their lives. On every "mission" I am given one shot, one chance. I've been threatened that if I miss I'll regret what happens. I never miss.

I'm not worried for me or my life, I'm worried for them. Bones and Parker, Cam, Sweets, Hodgins and Angela.

"Booth." The largest man aside of the group surrounding me, (leaning against a tent pole), laughs heartily in his thick accent. "Were you a good boy? Did you do as you were told?"

I look at them with a hint of a sarcastic smile, "You know me, never fail to satisfy." Snide humor is the only way to get by, no matter how twisted that may be.

"Ha, is that what the ladies say back home? Is that what _she_ said?"

They all know about her. Keeping my emotions in check I say: "Gentleman if you'll excuse me, I can't spend the night chit chatting with you. Not exactly the most stimulating conversation if you know what I mean."

The four others with the guns return to their posts on the other side of the camp and everyone seems to disperse, not wanting to engage in a fight with me.

The large man approaches me and grabs my face roughly, "I'm sure she's forgotten all about you, I'm sure she's lying between the sheets with another man just getting ready to f-"

He can't finish his sentence because I roughly shake him off and punch him in the face. I don't cry out in pain as he falls to the ground in surprise, but it feels as though the bones in my hand have splintered.

Two others run to break up the fight and pull me away from attacking him again. I can't move.

Wiping the blood from his lip, he leans upon his knees. "Is that all you got? You've got no fight left in you." He smirks, punches me in the face, and walks away leaving me breathless.

The two soldiers holding me frisk me before I return to my holding cell. They routinely pat me down… but just as they reach for my arms, I am too fast for them. The abandoned knife I found in the desert finds flesh as I stifle startled cries.

They're both down. I have to work fast. I take a fallen semi automatic pistol and walk through the darkness to find...him.

His tent has no guards keeping watch. This seems like an act of God. I am suddenly relieved that I won't have to spill even more blood than necessary.

Pulling back the flap of his tent I immediately hear: "Ah Agent Booth, what a pleasant surprise...I wondered how long it would take."

He knows it's me even though his back is turned. Is he unable to look me straight in the eye? He doesn't move.

"So this is how a warrior of your stature ends things…I see. Attacking a weaponless man?"

Trying to make guilt well up inside me won't work.

I shoulder my gun and aim.

I _never miss._

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	9. Brennan 5

**_Sorry it's taken me so long to post this chapter, but reality caught up with me and I have a lot of packing and such to do, and I apologize :) enjoy and review! =)_**

**Brennan**

Angela thought I was joking and a minute after I told her, she was hysterical. I explained to her that I was in every way serious. It took some convincing, but I think she finally understood. I was moving on, like she wanted. Just not in the way she expected me to.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" She asks as we are standing outside the door.

"He deserves to know." I am talking about Parker. "He's going to have a sibling. He should be told."

"No, I meant about having a baby with a dead man." Angela half whispered the response.

I know how stupid this must seem, especially for someone moving on, but I can't help but think that this is what he wants. Sure he told me I could have his child if he died during brain-surgery, but I think that it still applies. I'd like to think that he wants me to be happy, and if that means that I'll have his child, I don't think he would mind.

I take a deep breath.

"Yes, I'm sure." I say as we walk up the path of a home and I knock on the door.

A sad face greets me.

"Hi Bones." Parker says and I get down to hug him.

"Hi Parker. Are you okay?" I ask.

"Dr. Brennan?" Rebecca says and appears in the door. Her eyes are red and puffy from crying.

"Hi Rebecca." I say. "Is it okay if I talk to Parker for a little while?"

"Sure." She says.

"Maybe you can go and get some ice cream or something?" Angela suggests. She's promised to fill Rebecca in while I speak to Parker.

Parker gets his coat and we leave for the ice-cream place just around the corner. It's a beautiful day and we take the ice cream outside to enjoy it in the sun.

"Parker." I say and look at him. He hasn't touched his ice cream. "What's wrong?"

Stupid. Stupid. STUPID! I know what's wrong. He misses Booth. Of course he does. Who doesn't?

"I miss dad." he says and looks at me with those puppy eyes he's got from his father.

"I know you do. I miss him too." I stroke his back.

He takes a small bite of the ice cream.

"Parker, I want to tell you something." He looks at me while I speak.

"Has it got something to do with dad?" he asks.

"Sort of." I struggle with telling him what I've come to speak to him about. "The thing your father was most proud of in his life was you."

That's not a bad start.

"He always told me that being your father was the best job he could possibly have." I continue. This is flowing more smoothly than I imagined "and because of that, I have decided that I'm going to become a mother. Your dad decided to help me with that a while ago and since your father is going to be my child's father, which means that my baby is going to be your sibling." Okay, a bit blunt, but as my father once said; I'm not much for sugarcoating anything.

Parker doesn't speak, though I'm fairly certain he understands what I just said. I don't think he needs to know about the detail of the procedure, but I need him to know this.

"Is that okay with you?" I ask when he hasn't answered me for a minute or so.

"Did you love my dad?" He asks.

"Of course I did." I answer automatically. I did love him.

"Then it's okay with me." He looks up at me and smiles, and that smile warms my heart. He looks so much like his father, despite the fact that his eyes are red from crying, and I want to hug him so much and tell him it's going to be okay.

"Thank you Parker. That means a lot to me." I say again and we sit quietly and eat our ice cream.

A week passes, approximately, and all the arrangements for my artificial insemination are starting to be formed. I won't have to wait long for it. I started taking the hormones soon after my chat with Parker, and now all I have to do is wait for is the right time.

Everyone's been trying to talk me out of it, but they just don't understand that this is what I need to move on. This is my way of grieving over Booth. It seems completely backwards, I understand that but if it helps me, what does it matter?

Parker's probably been the most understanding through this process but maybe that's because he doesn't understand more of it than the fact that he's getting a sibling.

After a long wait of a few weeks, I finally go through it. I'm alone in the room when it happens but Angela's outside. She asked if I wanted her to be here, but I want to be here alone.

In the evening, I'm alone again in my apartment. I try to go to sleep, but I can't. I'm tired but happy and my hand keeps ending up on my stomach. I get out a book, my favorite; _The Lady and the Unicorn_, and begin to read. I can't help identifying a bit with Aliénore and Marie-Céleste; both having children without the biological father present, but still knowing who it is.I keep thinking of how much this situation sort of reminds me of the Virgin Mary of the Bible. Not that I'm a virgin, but I am going to have a child without ever having slept with the father. Booth would have appreciated the similarities, I think.

I fall asleep with a smile on my face and my hand at my belly.

**_Hope you liked it, and I hope that you will review :)_**


	10. Booth 5

_**Hello everyone! So who is beyond excited for the return of Bones? I know I am! There is a bit of angst in this chapter, but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel in these situations ;) **_

**Booth**

I have a stabbing stitch in my side. Hot wind is slapping against my face as I run. My legs are pumping as I suck in short, hard breaths.

It's been a few months since my escape from the camp, or at least it feels like it has. I feel like I have lost track of the days, like I have lost control…Nightmares of what I've seen are still persistent when I am lucky enough to catch some shut eye.

Every hour, every minute, every second has been draining the life from me…Have I been away from home for years? Somehow my brain doesn't seem to be working anymore…it wouldn't be the first time…I can't work this out.

I start to wonder if I will be wandering the desert for the rest of my days. Will I become a slave to the mirages (I constantly see) that depict good times past? I see _them. _All the time out here in the darkness. All the squints, even Zack, Parker, my other FBI coworkers…Bones. It's mostly her. They call out to me, reach for me…but I am never fast enough to grasp their fingers or pull them into a long awaited embrace.

My mind feels cloudy. Vivid then shadowy images come floating in and out. It's literally a constant struggle out in this hell hole- for both body and soul.

I barely remember the taste of food, the comfort of a warm bed, the peacefulness that floods over you when holding a woman's hand. Not just a woman, but the woman.

In the heavy night air, in the transparent desert moonlight, I suddenly feel a sharp pain in my foot. The sting shoots up my leg and suddenly there is no sturdy ground below me. That's when I realize I am toppling down a sand dune. Tiny, serrated rocks slice into my face. With a sickening crash I land in the pit of a muddy lake. I don't know whether to praise the heavens for leading me to water or cursing them for torturing me further in this barren wasteland.

I feel like a fallen warrior. Never before has hopelessness been so strong within me. I want give in and let the murky depths of this ditch whisk me away from all of it.

"Come on Sarge, this is neither the time nor the place to give up."

God. Either this is a hallucination, mirage or ghost. Nowadays they seem to be one in the same. My mind continues to play sick tricks on me.

"Teddy?"

"You know me; I come to your rescue in the roughest of times. Plus I'm awesome at giving advice."

"What are doing here? Here to guide me to the light?" The young soldier snickers at my sarcastic words. I lift my head up from the mud, eyesight suddenly becoming clearer.

"Come on Sarge, you're not a quitter. But I will say that you look worse for wear."

"Do you know what I've been through?"

"Sure, sure, but your a tough guy. Your end is not gonna come tonight. Not here. Not now."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me. I know things."

I can't bite my tongue. "I'm sorry but I'm having difficulty trusting the words of a ghost right now."

"When have I ever failed you?" He says to me winking.

I can't believe what I'm hearing. It's all too much.

"You need to keep going Booth. There are people who love you. These people aren't ready to say goodbye to you just yet."

"Some things just aren't meant to be."

"Hey now, that doesn't sound like the strong, encouraging Sergeant I know. You know? The one who said to me: 'Come on Teddy, just a little further, come on, we're gonna make it!'

I glance up into my younger former comrade's eyes. The blue eyes sparkle with his childish grin. They seem too bright to be a mere projection of a memory.

"S-sometimes you just gotta accept your fate and take it like a man. And life is about change…And people can let go. It's called _moving on_." My voice is terribly scratchy.

"Not all people can." He says.

"What?...Who? You mean Bones? She's strong, we've both reached an understanding… It's, it's over, we're professionals, that bridge was never ours to cross"-

"Have you ever considered that the path you're supposed to be on isn't always the smoothest?"

"What are you? A prophet? I've tried with her, I can't…I can't do it anymore…I came here to-to"-

"Let go? Let her go?"

"Yes."

"Is that what she wanted?"

"YES! That's what I'm trying to tell you!" I'm panting.

"Then I guess you don't know her as much as you claim to"-

"What?"

"Sarge-don't run, you'll just die…tired."

The old Sniper motto being used with a deeper meaning leaves me speechless. Metaphors...right now I hate them. With that last ringing sentence, his image begins to fade before me like dust on the wind.

"Wait!" My voice seems to echo eerily.

Shifting my weight to my knees, I struggle to stand up in the trench that I've tumbled into. I feel as if I have a better understanding of who I once was. Like I've gotten a second wind, more importantly, a second chance. With a new burst of energy surging in my veins, I take a deep breath and begin to climb back to even ground.

Could this be a kind of miracle in the simplest form? That I have not yet lost the will to live?

Walking on, I grit my teeth and ignore the piercing pain in my legs. I continue to wipe sweat and thick dirt out of my eyes. For what seems like a minute, the newfound strength that I found is already beginning to falter.

Hoping to catch a glimpse of some sparse stars for comfort, I gaze to the sky. A blinding white light hovers above me causing gusts of sand to swirl about.

I quickly become disoriented and feel like I've gone momentarily deaf. All sound has become muffled. I have no idea what's happening, but my legs give out. There seem to be voices, friend or foe, it is impossible to tell.

Tears spring to my eyes; they are neither sad nor happy. I don't know who these people are. A heavy hand on my shoulder gives me comfort.

Someone is holding me up, slowly guiding my feet into the unknown…

_**As always we would appreciate some reviews- just to know that our story is delivering! ;) xxx **_


	11. Brennan 6

**Hey everyone! Since I (She) will be leaving for Aus tomorrow and don't know when I will be able to post next so Her has been kind enough to post my chapters for me, since I don't know when I will get proper internet access. So I wish you happy reading for my upcoming chapters and I will try and get proper internet as soon as possible :) **

**Brennan**

It feels great. I wake up every morning and the bump on my stomach is growing more and more, and I feel like he's here with me. It's been about five months since I got the positive results. Four months four weeks and one day to be precise. The first pair of months were awful, with constant morning sickness, but that passed a few weeks ago. I roll on to my other side and roll right on top of my book. _The Lady and the Unicorn_ is lying upside down with that renaissance inspired portrait on the front cover looking thoughtfully in the other direction. I wonder, as I have so many times, which one of the girls the one on the cover is representing. It could very well be Aliénore, the blind girl, but she doesn't dress as wealthy and the portrayed looks wealthy. It could be Claude, the wealthy man's daughter, but she's not at distant as the girl in the portrait. Maybe it's both of them, morphed in to one.

As my mind is filled with that silly debate, I get up and put my robe on. I look out from my window that faces east. The sun is rising, making the whole city glow in the process. Along with the streetlights, it all looks very pretty. I feel sad in a way because I would love to share it with someone, but there's no one to share it with.

Andrew and I parted on good terms when I decided to become pregnant and the test turned out to be positive. It was my suggestion. He is a sweet man, and he offered to stay with me during the process, but I declined. I don't want this child to grow up with the idea that Andrew is the father when he isn't. I politely broke everything off back then because even though Andrew is nice, I don't want to share this child with him like that. This child is mine and Booth's and that's the way it will stay.

Booth is obviously not here either, and my eyes tear up just thinking about it. I quickly forget it and walk over to the fridge.

I pour myself a glass of juice and I go back to my window. I see a few cars on the road and as the sun rises, so does the number of cars. It's not really that fascinating, the positive correlation, and yet the movement of the cars hypnotizes me. It gets my mind wandering again. Not back to the book, but back to a memory. It's a conversation that Angela and I had soon after I had made my decision.

"_Temperance." She says. She never calls me Temperance. "Listen to me"_

_I sigh. Haven't we been over this a few times by now?_

"_Are you sure that this hasn't gotten anything to do with the fact that you might still be grieving? There's no undoing this once you have the baby."_

"_I know." I say for the one thousandth time. Angela has been saying this so many times that I've lost track. "Angela, I've thought this through." _

"_I'm just saying." She says and pauses. "For the record." Another pause. "That you've decided to have a baby…with a dead man."_

"_Your point?" I'm getting agitated now. "I don't really see why we need to get through it again."_

"_My point is that you're having a dead man's baby." She looks at me, like it's supposed to mean something. It doesn't. _

"_What?" I look at her. _

"_You really don't understand how some people might see that as the opposite of moving on, and maybe even a bit…disturbing?"_

"_Disturbing?" _

"_Yeah, like you're not completely clear in your head."_

"_Angela, my mental health is fine." I say. _

"_I know, but other people might think you're a bit crazy. You really don't see it?"_

_I shake my head. I suppose I do understand, on one level, but I prefer not to think about it. _

"_Well, maybe this is what I need to move on." I say instead. _

_She looks at me like I'm actually insane now._

"_It's your choice." She mumbles "I'm just trying to give you perspective on things."_

"_And I appreciate it." I say, but the truth is that no matter how much perspective she gives me, I will never ever change my mind._

And I haven't. Not once have I regretted the decision I made. I touch my stomach. Even though I've had several months to come to grips with it, it still doesn't feel real, like it's all a dream. I think back to yesterday. Parker was with my dad in the lab after hours to do experiments. Both of them seem to really enjoy it, and I'm glad. I'm happy that my dad looks after Parker the way that he does. With his own father gone, the boy will need a new father figure, and I'm happy my dad is willing to help. Parker often visits and he always wants to know about the baby. It fascinates him but there isn't much to tell. Ever since my stomach started to grow, I think he realized that there's an actual baby in there.

I get back to reality. It's time to take a shower and get dressed. I feel rested. Another day's work is before me, and it feels like a good one.

_**Well, I hope you liked it and will like my other chapters! =] And please leave reviews!**_


	12. Booth 6

_**Okay, so I am posting this a tad earlier than planned, but I am anxious for you to see what happens next xD Right now "She" is jetting across the world, gearing up for an awesome time in an awesome place! So let's send her positive vibes hehe As always enjoy ;) **_

**Booth**

I stare out of the misty window…the faint lights below seem to be flickering. They glisten in a breaking sunrise. In different circumstances, this view would cause onlookers to gaze in awe, but today…it's not what it could be. Extraordinary, yes, the symbol of a new day, yeah, the start of a new beginning, sure. But it would be even more miraculous if I could link hands and share this moment with _her_.

I keep telling myself that I will be fine. That we will be fine in good time. But doubt always creeps into my mind. Will the shock of me suddenly reappearing into her life send her running? Will it be too painful for her to actually face me? Will my presence re-open old wounds for the both of us? The sound of: "Girls Just Want To Have Fun," and bullet tearing through flesh rings in my ears.

It's been almost five months since I was saved from wandering in the Afghan desert. A place of anguish, despair. I can hear her voice in my head: "Booth to be more precise, we've been apart for eight months, four weeks and one day." And here I am, looking out of a jet window that is preparing to land in Washington D.C. An American soldier that has been discharged.

It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters now is picking up the shambles of my old life and beginning again.

It was a miracle that American troops even found me. Fate somehow pushed me into the right place at the right time. They were able to nurse me back to health. It was difficult, considering mental health is something that can't be cured with an onslaught of stitches, operations and copious shots of morphine. Not that I'm crazy, I'm not crazy. But I still can't sleep…..

She's still in my every thought.

Years ago, aboard a jet very similar to this, we were traveling home from a long week in Mexico. Both of us were rattled from a rather gruesome case involving a young American woman.

_She sits back in her seat and closes her eyes. "I just can't believe what she went through right before she died." _

_In the seat beside her I mutter: "I know Bones, it's tough to wrap your mind around it." She gives me a quizzical look. "I just mean, we can't really hope to understand why something this horrible happened to this woman…"_

" _I understand Booth." She says, but tears have gathered in her eyes and I feel like I've said something wrong. _

"_Hey, hey, hey, Bones. It's okay, we caught the bad guy, we brought justice to this poor woman and her family. We made a difference." I say softly. Lifting her chin with my hand, I gently wipe a tear from her cheek. _

"_But why her? This was just an innocent woman, what separates her from me? We are one in the same, we're women, trying to live our lives, ordinary women who-" _

"_Bones you are anything but ordinary. You're extraordinary." I whisper. She looks up from her reverie and seems unsure of what to say, like she wasn't expecting this kind of interruption. _

_She manages a: "Thanks."_

"_No problem." There is a long pause. "Because of us that bastard will never harm another woman…another person. I know that we can't explain why this woman had to suffer like she did, why she was forced to lose her dignity. It's unfair and wrong, but I know, In the bottom of my heart, that will not be your fate…Not while I'm around." _

_She stares at me, and seems torn between smiling and crying. That's when she takes her hand and places it on mine and squeezes it. _

"_Thank you Booth." She smiles. This is the first time she hasn't scoffed at my protectiveness. She sighs peacefully and looks out of the jet window that shows nothing but encompassing darkness._

These memories have been popping up more and more. I feel like I'm on the brink of losing my mind. Will the nightmares go away when I pull her into a tight embrace? Will the horrors of all that time spent in the desert fade away? Will she be able to accept me into her life again? Or will I be nothing but a ghost? I kind of feel like one right now.

Will I be welcomed back with open arms? Did we miss our moment? How could I let it slip away?...

Thousands of questions like these plague me, so I shake my head hoping to think clearly.

"Are you alright son? You look troubled."

The elderly woman on my right has been silent the whole flight and chooses now to talk to me. Great.

"Uh I'm fine thanks. Just tired."

"It's a woman isn't it?"

"Excuse me?"

"The something that's upsetting you is a woman. Am I wrong?" She says with a kind of mischievous glint in her eye.

"Uh…I guess." I don't really feel like bearing my soul to a total stranger right now.

"Just know this dear, things always work out in the end." She places her hand on my forearm and pats it.

"I don't mean to be rude, but how do you know? You don't know me, how can you tell me that everything is going to be okay?" I say, hoping to keep the tone of my voice non-threatening.

"Life has a way of playing tricks on us from time to time, beating us down, but once the dark times pass, you'll see. Everything that you want with all your heart, will be yours."

I didn't even notice the change of altitude, the voice of the pilot issuing overhead, the plane touching down on American soil.

"That sounds very philosophical…" I whisper.

"Everything happens eventually…" She says, getting up from her seat. That's a strange coincidence, my own saying being spoken before me. She winks and shuffles away.

"I-I…thank you." I whisper after her. I don't know what else I should have said. Strangely enough, this pep talk has lifted a suffocating weight off my chest.

Stewardess' voices are garbled as I step out onto the steps, descending from the plane and into the bright sunlight.

Tears threaten to drench my face and at this point, I stop trying to push everything down inside and just let them fall.

The only thing on my mind is getting to the Jeffersonian. I need to see her in person, all of them, and I can't wait. I am feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety…I can't call them to let them know, would they actually speak to a dead man? That would be the ultimate shock. Maybe I should have planned this out better…

Everything passes in a blur, getting a rental car, driving down the familiar streets...I step into the Jeffersonian without anyone looking at me. I am focused on blending into the crowd (a mixture of interns, employees and security guards). My suit and tie do not seem out of place to them and I'm relieved that I'm not drawing any attention. It's overwhelming to be back into this place. It is extremely shiny; it seems almost shinier than before (if that's possible). It's blinding to the eye, but then again it feels like I've never left.

And that's when the platform comes into view….and she's there, commanding interns as they trudge up and down the steps. Hodgins, Angela, Cam and Sweets are buzzing around her bouncing back theories eagerly. They appear to be feverishly working on an involved case. All I see is the back of her, bent down over a table of remains. The dark blue lab coat hugs her slim shoulders and her hair is pulled back into a messy pony tail. All I long for is to see her face; the striking eyes that make me feel vulnerable and indestructible at the same time. Hodgins walks closer to her and hands her a large beaker. She takes it gingerly and examines the liquid hoping to spot shards of bone. My legs bring me closer, to the point where if I had a card, I could slide it through…..

Angela seems to be the one to spot me first. Everyone else is oblivious. She does a double take and her eyes become wide, mouth agape. Hodgins, Cam and Sweets follow soon follow suit. Still immersed in her work, gripping the large beaker, Bones is the last to take notice. I just stand there, firmly standing my ground and wait patiently.

I hear her voice, "Angela what are you-?" and she turns, almost in slow motion. Her sapphire eyes pierce mine, as gorgeous as ever, but the look in them do not show a wave of happiness, but shock and a hint of fear creeps into them.

That's when I notice she doesn't look entirely the same. The solid ground feels like its crumbling underneath me. My eyes travel down to her midsection and I realize….Bones is pregnant.

_Pregnant._

The sound of shattering glass echoes loudly throughout the lab.

_**That little review button is beckoning you! By the way, thank you to those of you that have reviewed, it's really been a pleasure reading each and every one of your comments! Xxxx! **_


	13. Brennan 7

_**Hey readers! Glad you're enjoying our story, really am blown away by the reviews ;) So this is "She's" chapter, wanted to get it up before the weekend. As always, enjoy! **_

**Brennan**

I get to work and everything feels nice for once. I don't know why, but it feels like I've been breathing bad air forever, and now I am able to inhale that first breath of fresh air.

"You look extraordinarily happy today." Angela says as I enter the building.

"It just feels like a good day." I reply.

I turn to walk into my office as Angela continues forward. I spend some time in my office and work on the case, but I soon get called out to the platform where the body lies.

The stainless steel tables have been moved a bit so that I can get around them easily enough, and I stand with my face towards the glass doors. However, the interns and other employees of the Jeffersonian annoy me a bit and I go to stand on the other side.

"The victim was stabbed." I say and examine a wound.

"As my findings indicated, but I wanted to make sure." Cam says.

"Particles found in the wound suggest the body was transported. Probably over an even surface like a garage-floor or something…" Hodgins says and hands me the beaker he's holding. Samples are suspended in the floating water.

"Like dragged?" Sweets asks. I wonder what he's doing here. "Cause I don't see how the particles have ended up on this dude otherwise."

This earns him an evil glare from Hodgins and I have to agree. That was a pretty stupid remark, even for Sweets. Brilliant psychologist…

"Angela, have you finished the reconstruction yet?" I speak in a semi-loud tone. She would be able to hear me, but she doesn't reply.

"Angela, did you hear me?" I ask a bit louder when she hasn't responded.

I look over at her. She's staring somewhere. Behind me. She's not receptive of my commands.

"Angela, what are you-?" I turn around. And I see him. A dead man.

Suddenly all the world is still. The world has stopped turning. I look at him and he looks at me. I can't believe it. It's not real. It can't be. But it has to be. This has to be what Angela was looking at. I want to run up to him and hug him, but I know that I can't do that. Not now. Why? I don't know. But I can't move.

Suddenly, the world is turning again. His face turns from a smile to a shocked expression. That's when I remember.

I'm pregnant.

The beaker meeting the platform cannot be escaped by anyone in there. I forgot I was holding it in my hands and it accidentally slipped from my grip. The floor against glass was not a good combination and the beaker shatters; its contents spreading out over the floor.

I can't stay here anymore. I'm in shock. And in a panic. All at the same time. I have to get out of here.

I make a quick escape to my office and sit down behind my desk. My legs are crossed but they don't stick out, so I'm not visible from the windows and doors. Good. I need to be alone.

The loneliness doesn't last long, unfortunately. However, I do have enough time to go over the whole scenario again. I wonder what went through Booth's head when he saw me. I wonder if he realizes that it's his.

"So." A voice says. I'm not startled. I heard him come in. He is sitting in the chair across from me, and the desk is between us, so we don't even have to look at the other.

I don't reply.

"You're pregnant." That's not a question. I don't bother replying to that either.

We're quiet.

"Congratulations?" He asks.

I can't help it. I start to cry. Vehemently.

He quickly walks around my desk and sits opposite me.

"Hey, Bones."He says and I cry even harder when I hear his nickname for me. I thought I would never hear it again."Shhhhh. It's okay." He strokes my hair.

"You're not dead." I say through the crying as I'm trying to stop and he shakes his head.

I try to smile and he smiles back. I begin to cry again and laugh at the same time.

I don't know how long it takes but finally I calm down. He continues to stroke my hair, "shh" me and say that it's okay until I can breathe normally again.

"Bones, don't get hysterical again, but whose is it?" he says and nods towards my stomach. "And don't get me wrong." He hurries to add: "I'm happy for you. I really am. Is it Hacker's? Because honestly, I think you can do better than him."

I laugh a little as another tear slides down my cheek. I don't know why I'm laughing. It's not even that funny.

"But come on, tell me…" He pushes gently "Is it Hacker's? If it is, just ignore what I said. I'm happy for you and Hacker."

"It's not Andrew's." I shake my head and look in to the ground.

He awaits my continual. I look up.

"It's yours."

_**There's plenty more where that came from Xxx! **_


	14. Booth 7

_**I couldn't help myself, I just had to update today, everyone is so eager! Hope you like my chapter ;) **_

**Booth**

_Everything is frozen in time. Each person involved in this moment is unable to move. Standing there rigidly, she is rooted to her spot, the shattered remains of the beaker sparkling feebly at her feet. Shock intoxicates her beautiful features. I can't manage to move a muscle even though I want to take the steps two at a time and wrap her in my arms and never let go. _

_My mind is racing a million miles a minute. She's pregnant. She had once said that she never wanted children. Whose child is it? Has she already found another to love her? Time has been against me all along…my enemy. I knew if I waited too long…_

_I hastily try to shift my fearful expression into something more pleasant…but I can't wipe the shocked look off my face. I can almost see the wheels turning furiously in her head, as if she is working out how I am possibly standing here. She seems unable to make sense of the anomaly of her day. Ashen, she looks like she is about to faint but surprises everyone and turns on her heel. I can hear glass crunching under her high heels as she races in the direction of her office. She's running away from me, fleeing the scene. _

_I stand there peering in her direction as more glass is shuffled aside. Another pair of feet approaches. I feel a graceful hand brushing my shoulder and Angela's voice: "Booth, I-" _

_I walk away from her and don't acknowledge the others. I'm sure they're all as white as a sheet. I tread quietly into her office. _

"_So. "I say. She knew this was coming but her distress doesn't fade. She's sitting behind her desk, looking even more fearful than before. She doesn't meet my eyes. I follow suit and stare at the ground momentarily. Coward._

_At a loss of what to say, I figure to state the obvious. _

"_You're pregnant." Still nothing. _

_I'm starting to get desperate now because this is not the happy reunion I envisioned. But I have to admit, it's not totally unexpected. _

"_Congratulations?" Yeah, great job Seeley, way to break the ice...Like this is a regular conversation. It's not like we are attempting to resurrect a friendship and love that feels like its lost, yeah it's nothing like that (I scoff sarcastically). That's when the tears overflow down her strong cheek bones and don't stop. I can't restrain myself from rushing to her side. _

"_Hey Bones-" The sobs become more intense and my heart bleeds for her. "Shhhh. It's okay…" I stroke her sleek hair. She seems completely overwhelmed, almost to the point of hyperventilation. Can't say that I blame her. _

"_You're not dead," The words come out in a choked whisper and I immediately shake my head 'no.' I continue to try to coax her into a more relaxed state. She smiles gently and I muster up my best grin. She laughs through her tears. _

_I continue to caress her hair and my natural instinct is to kiss her temple. I haven't been following my instincts…I need to come up with something more worthwhile to say…but I feel like my voice no longer works properly from lack of use._

"_Bones, don't get hysterical again, but whose is it?...And don't get me wrong. I'm happy for you. I really am. Is it Hacker's? Because honestly, I think you can do better than him." I don't know what made me say it, even though it's the truth. I don't want to insult her in anyway. _

_To my immense relief she laughs and I'm beyond thankful. But I need to know the truth, so I push on. "But come on, tell me…Is it Hacker's? If it is, just ignore what I said. I'm happy for you and Hacker…" The last bit is a boldface lie. It would be natural for her to fall back with Hacker….but hearing that from her would cause me physical pain. It feels like someone is gripping my insides. _

"_It's not Andrew's." _

_I thank my lucky stars for that. She can't look me straight in the eye for very long. But with every passing moment she seems a bit braver in my presence. "It's yours." _

_This seems like a blissful dream and nightmare all colliding into one. _

And here I am. I've been running through the contents of that conversation for three days now. I've done nothing but sleep. No that's a lie, attempted to sleep (more like blankly stare at the wall). Bones kept my apartment, bought it as an investment, and thankfully let me return to it. The majority of my belongings were returned from storage. It seems she didn't have the heart to get rid of them. When I opened the door, it was as if I were stepping back into a place from a past life...

I haven't seen her since the day I returned. Directly after our "meeting," she told me she needed time; as much as it would take to adjust to my sudden reappearance. But time feels like the last thing I need. I understand the shock, but hasn't it torn me apart too? She's having my child for Christ's sake! Why can't we face this together? I wanted to respect her wishes of me not contacting her for a little while, but I had to try something…calling, texting, emailing, something. How could I not? That has gotten me nowhere. The silent treatement…

Angela reassured me, saying she would somehow help us iron this out. Nothing so far.

I'm sitting on my couch, hoping to drown my sorrows in alcohol. Clicking the remote, I flip through countless games but never settle on one. I am going to become a father, for the second time. Bones is having my baby.

What kills me is: I wasn't there for her at the beginning of her pregnancy. I wasn't there to hold her hand and kiss her when she had her first ultrasound. I wasn't there to hold her hair back when she experienced morning sickness. I couldn't run out in the middle of the night to satisfy the cravings. She was alone. Alone.

I want nothing more than to be with her. To exist with her. To build a life with her. What I wouldn't give to surround her in my arms, together in our bed, a union of two people. The ironic thing is, all of this feels like it would have been even more impossible if she hadn't thought I was dead. But how can I say that? Maybe it could have happened. Us.

Maybe our lives would have progressed differently if we both came back from Indonesia and Afghanistan and reevaluated our relationship. Maybe she would have, admitted things to herself… If she had learned to open up, maybe our time apart would have made her realize what was so plain to everyone else. The "what if's?" are driving me nuts.

I want to be there for her, for the child, my child, her child, our child. I love her.

Before all of these changes had taken place, when we were in our element, I remember one conversation that had disheartened me. It was a bleak kind of foreshadowing, a kind of prophecy foretelling us going our separate ways for a time. I close my eyes.

"_What would you do if I no longer worked with the FBI?" _

_I nearly choke on my burger. "What?" I say sputtering._

"_Let's say, hypothetically of course, that my work required me to leave Washington D.C…. permanently"- _

"_Bones what are you talking about? Are you planning on quitting your job or something? Being transferred?" _

"_No, nothing of the sort. I just want to know how you would react." _

"_Is this some kind of warped experiment or something?" _

"_Booth I am just attempting to gage the strength of our partnership. What such a question really means…"- She seems to be having a difficult time breaking this down for me…into the vernacular anyway. "This is a psychologically based"-_

"_Experiment? I think you know I don't like being a 'subject.' Number one, stop spending extra time with Sweets, number two, we don't need to worry about the answer to such a question because neither one of us is going anywhere. You know we are working at our highest symbiotic potential, our comradery yields very positive results, yadda yadda"- _

"_I didn't mean to put you on the defensive Booth"- _

"_Defensive? Whoa! Hey- I'm not being defensive. I just, I don't like to think about our partnership dissolving."_

"_Why not?" _

"_Why?"_

"_It's bound to happen some"-_

" _Well do you like thinking about it Bones? I mean, we're a great team you and me." _

"_We are." _

"_We collaborate very well." _

"_We do." She seems to have swallowed my pitiful answers of denial. She wants me to say more…about us. It doesn't seem like her. Why can't I? Fear of rejection. Fear of…losing what we have. I take her void of silence as the end of that subject. I take a sip of my coke. She hasn't touched her salad…but reaches over to "borrow" one of my fries, a lighthearted twinkle in her eye. Through the munching she continues._

"_What would you do if I died?" This time I literally choke. _

"_Wh, wha? What kind of a sick and twisted question is that? And how can you ask that so nonchalantly?" _

"_Would it mean something to you?" Her face is serious, eyes boring into mine._

"_Of course it would. We're very good friends Bones, obviously I don't like talking about such possibilities because they make me feel upset." _

"_Possibilities? Booth it is inevitable that both of us are going to die one day, we've discussed this"- _

"_Obviously I know that, but do we need to dwell on things like that right now?" _

"_Would you come and talk to me?" _

"_Bones stop…I don't want to talk about this"- _

"_I made you a promise."_

"_Okay fine. Yes I would. But let's talk about something happy okay? How is your new book coming?" _

"_Fine, I've actually made an immense amount of progress, I am ahead of schedule. My publisher-" _

"_Wonderful! See this is happy…regular talk, no more of the doom and gloom okay?" I smile. She smiles back. _

"_Sorry Booth, I didn't mean to disturb you. It's just, what we deal with in our line of work, you can't blame me for wondering about such things. I'm only trying to connect with you, you know"- I feel guilty because she was innocently asking. I have to say something. _

"_Bones just know that our partnership means a lot to me and"- In that moment a harsh ringing comes from her pocket and she pulls out her blackberry._

"_Brennan?" She answers in a tone that is controlled and very professional. She begins nodding her head in an eager manner. _

"_I'm sorry Booth, but I'm going to have to cut lunch short. Hodgins just unnerved ground breaking evidence. I'll call you once we have more of a lead and possibly this afternoon we can question Mr. Grey? I have a "gut feeling," we'll learn a lot from him…well I might once I examine the new findings-logic, fact, truth, instincts, all helping us out on this one." She winks and rushes out the door, tendrils of hair and trench coat flying after her. _

_I whisper under my breath. _

"_And if you died…I would be…heartbroken." _

So many times. So many times I've been close to telling her how I feel. What she means to me. The one time I exposed only half of what is in my heart, everything felt hopeless. Even so, how can I give up now? I feel like I have had some sense knocked into me and can't believe I've been wasting my time wallowing in self loathing, staring into the abyss (feeling sorry for myself). I should take some action. I should be at her door, demanding to see her and not taking 'no' for an answer. I can't stand being away anymore.

Running to my kitchen counter and grabbing my keys, I rush to my door. In mid stride I hear a forceful knock on it. I pause, continue to walk towards the door, insert the key into the lock and twist it.

Who knows what the rest of the night holds?

_**Xoxo! **_


	15. Brennan 8

_**Hey Bones fans ;) Here is "She's" chapter-lots more to come ;) -Bones Season SIX just around the corner! The excitement! **_

**Brennan**

I lay in my bed, my pillow soaked. Not from tears this time, but from my hair. I took a shower and my hair is still wet from it.

I've been hiding in my apartment for three days. Angela's cleaning my kitchen. She's got some weird idea that cleaning helps her think, and if it gives me a clean kitchen, I won't argue with that.

I've been lying sleepless for the past few nights. Last night Angela called, but I didn't pick it up. She left a message saying she would come by, which she did, but she hasn't left. I want to hear his voice again. I take the phone from the nightstand. I enter the code and put my phone to my ear.

"_Bones, I'm sorry I just walked out of there."_ I hear him say "_I was ju…look, it startled me, that's all. I really want to see you again. Call me." *Click.* _

There are about five more of those. They were delivered at various points during the past days and I can't help but feel exhausted. I want to see him, I really do, but I can't bring myself to call him. If I was Booth or Angela, I'd think that subconsciously I didn't want to see him, but I think that he needs some more time to process it. I saw it in his eyes. He's not ready for this. Not now. Not when he's recovering from war.

I play the message again and again and again. Finally I fall asleep to the sound of his voice. What have I done?

I sit up dizzy. Angela is standing opposite of my bed with my phone to her ear. Without a word, she climbs in on the other side of my bed.

"What are you doing?" I ask, disoriented.

"Preventing you from doing something stupid." Is the reply, but I have no idea what that means.

The morning comes and I'm wide awake. I need to see him. I carefully get out of bed and travel to the wardrobe.

The day looks cold and I go with a grey sweater over a white t-shirt and jeans.

"And where exactly are you going?" Angela startles me and I jump.

"Nowhere." I reply once I catch my breath. "I'm just getting dressed."

She looks at me.

"No you aren't. You are trying to go and see Booth." Her skill to always know what I'm up to astonishes me. "But I'm not going to let you."

"What gives you the authority to decide that?" I ask.

She looks at me, scanning from me from head to toe.

"Your current state of being and the fact that I'm your best friend." She says calmly. "And Booth is probably not even awake yet."

I glance over at the clock. It's not even 6 a.m. My body tells me I'm still tired and it urges me to go back to bed.

"Sleep for a few more hours and see how you feel about it then. You're not thinking clearly at the moment. I know that this is different for you, since you usually run." I grimace. "But you can't do that now. And you can't go and see him. I think it's better if I talk to him first."

I know she's probably right, because she'll be able to put this into a context he understands. I wouldn't know what to say. I just want to see him again. Know that he's there for real, and not just in my dreams.

But that is where he will have to remain for a few hours now. I go back to sleep and I dream about where we will be in a few months time, when the baby's here.

_**Xoxo!**_


	16. Booth 8

_**Anyone else on a House high right now? LOL Let's hope Bones' premiere is just as awesome! And so, here is the next installment of our story :D :D **_

**Booth**

"Camille, what are you doing here?" I am astonished. Definitely not the person I was hoping to see standing behind that door. I try to wipe the frown from my face. Apparently, it doesn't work.

"Don't call me Camille."

"Don't call me Seeley."

"Now Booth is that any way to greet an old friend? For a so called lady's man that was pitiful." She smiles pleasantly. "Come here big guy." She opens her arms and I walk forward, hugging my old friend and former lover. I give her a nod that foreshadows my apology.

"Sorry Cam, this week, these past months, uh, well you know." She walks past me and into the apartment.

"Oh believe me, I know. Dr. Brennan hasn't been to work in three days."

"That doesn't sound like Bones."

"Well can you blame her? This isn't exactly a regular occurrence, seeing the _ghost_ of an old partner, an old friend, the father of her first child…"

"Cam I'm not dead."

"That's just it Booth, you can't keep doing this to her. Walking in and out of her life, dying and coming back to life."

"Cam do you think I had any control over these situations? _Both _times they've happened?" I feel my temperature rising like I'm going to snap at her any moment. Patience is nonexistent these days.

"You sure as hell did. You chose not to tell her that the FBI faked your death when you were shot-"

"Sweets was supposed to tell her!"

"You allowed the FBI to bully you Booth. Dr. Brennan was horribly deceived; people don't get over that sort of thing. And to have it happen a second time"-

"Hey hey hey, Bones is not 'people' Cam." She looks very angry all of a sudden.

"Seeley if you don't realize that Dr. Brennan is a woman who has been scarred by the people she has been closest to throughout her entire life then maybe you don't deserve to have her heart." Her tone is dangerous.

"Excuse me?" I am barely holding it together now. "Cam do you realize what I've gone through these past couple of months? What happened to me out there? Do you not get it? And I've thought about nothing but Bones!" I am inches from breaking. Keep it under control Booth. She doesn't flinch at the anger that laces my words.

"It was your choice to travel overseas, to throw yourself back into the army. Why would you return to that? It was under that command that you led a life that has caused you so much grief. Chilling memories of taking lives…I thought you wanted to put that behind you."

"I did. I do...and out there, I did what I needed to survive."

"I'm not questioning your honor. You are a good man. But why did you run away Booth? Because that's what it was. Why do you two fear being together so much?"

"I can't stand to lose her!"

"Lose her? You're already losing her Booth! How can you possibly let fear control your life? The man I knew-"

"Then the man you knew is dead!" I spat at her. She gapes at me and chooses her next words very carefully.

"I don't believe that. That's no way to live. She is going to slip through your fingers forever if you don't take the risk."

"I did Cam! I did, and I was rejected. I was doing what I thought would be best for her. She deserved the freedom to live her life the way she wanted to."

"But when you were restored back to health overseas you did not bother to contact Dr. Brennan or _me!_ Didn't think we'd like to know that you were alive? Didn't think it was important to notify us? You can't keep dying like this!" She looks teary eyed now. Cam never cries…

"Cam, I'm, I'm sorry." My voice is a lot gentler now. I grab her by the shoulders and rub my hands across them. We walk over to the couch together and sit down. "Listen, there were horrible complications. Even when I was rescued, I was transferred to a safe house, a hidden place. Exposing my location to people back home would have been a liability for other soldiers, for everyone."

"You didn't have to tell us where you were."

"I was forbidden to make any contact. In the beginning of all this, I returned to the army because I thought I could save lives. Bones wanted to go on her mission in Indonesia. I couldn't deny her that, she had already denied me, but how could I possibly hold her back? I tried to move on…"

"Just like she did when she found out you were dead…it didn't work out too well for her, how did that work out for you?"

I stare at the floor and she shakes her head. "I rest my case. I just want you to know that if you love her-"

"I do. I do love her." I murmur.

"-truly, truly love her like you say you do and are ready to cherish her no question, then go to her. But do not, Seeley Booth, do not ever die on us again. We can't take this. If this ever happens again, you're 'killed' and are somehow 'revitalized,' don't be surprised if you come back and find that Dr. Brennan has died of a broken heart."

I think we've had this conversation before. It sounds hauntingly familiar.

"So now that that's out in the open and we're clear, what do you say we play some poker?" She says.

I am really surprised that the conversation has taken this turn.

I chuckle and it feels incredibly unfamiliar to me. I haven't laughed in a while.

"Poker?"

"Come on, just like old times. You do remember the fun we used to have? I figured you could use a bit of a release. Let's not talk about anything dark or depressing, there will be plenty of time for that, right now we play." She winks at me and I can't help but smile.

"But we're not betting anything." She adds.

"Fair enough." I say.

It felt really good to just talk openly, without judgment. Soothing.

Cam and I were up all night playing poker and talking. Not about what happened in a foreign land, not about what happened at home, but we reminisced about happy times. Time has jetted by and its daybreak. Amazingly she doesn't seem tired. With a final "See you later," and a look that says "Don't mess this up or I'll kill you," she pats me on the shoulder and turns smartly in her black heels out of my doorway. I feel like for the first time in a long time I could actually sleep for a few hours. I rest my eyes gingerly for a few seconds. But a few seconds becomes a few minutes and a few minutes becomes a few hours of dreamless almost pleasant sleep.

Its10:00 a.m. when I am jolted awake. My eyes have a difficult time adjusting to the vivid light that streams into my apartment. I can't believe I've slept even this long. But I know what I want. It will soon be all up to her. If it's really true what Cam said, then her pain and sorrow was just as powerful as mine when we were away from one another. Isn't it proof enough that she is having my child that she loves me? That she wanted to keep me alive with the new life of a child? There should be no question, but if she won't let me see her, if she refuses-

My feet are ahead of my head when I find myself behind the wheel of my sleek rented car. I turn the key abruptly and stomp on the gas. I am hoping she is nestled in her apartment, safe. But I am torn from these thoughts as I spot a car accident up ahead at a treacherous intersection that has caused the early morning traffic to halt at a standstill. It's backed up a ridiculous amount and I curse under my breath. Screw this.

But I don't care, I'm not letting anything stop me now. Abandoning my car in the jumble of honking horns, sirens and other commotion, the only thing I can do now is: run. Her apartment is ten blocks away but I continue to sprint and ignore the somewhat aching pain in my side.

I'm behind her door in minutes. Number 22. I raise my fist to knock smartly. I hear shuffling behind it and a door slam echoes in the distance. That is when the door is swept opened for me. The person behind it is not the one I had expected to see. This seems to be happening a lot lately...déjà vu.

Angela.

_**Xoxo!**_


	17. Brennan 9

_**Next chappie! (She's of course, she still doesn't have a great amount of internet time, so I am continuing the posting)…Just remember the phrase-amazing things come to those who wait…Not too long now! ;)**_

**Brennan**

I wake up. I just had the worst nightmare imaginable to a human. I lost them. Both of them. Booth and the baby. I was saved, but only me.

It was real. So real. I cannot believe it was a dream. How could it be? I start to remember the details now.

_We are working a case and I insisted I go with him into the field and we catch the bastard. Booth had argued because I was pregnant. With his kid and all. He didn't want me in the line of fire. _

_I called the ambulance from the car. The maniac already has another victim that will need medical attention. Booth urges me to stay, but I refuse, and my hormones make me crazy. He lets me come but I have to promise to stay behind him. _

_He hadn't counted on the fake door in the wall, and suddenly the creep is behind me, putting his arm around my throat and takes a knife to my stomach. I can feel the metal though my shirt. He knows me. Us. He knows the child is Booth's and he decided on the most painful target. Booth would never forgive himself if something happened to his child._

_Everything happened so fast from here. I feel the knife cut and I can see my shirt turn redder and a puddle form beneath me. Suddenly Booth is there to rescue me and wrestles him, but he loses and falls to the ground, with a cut to this throat. I fall upon my knees and take his hand. I feel it getting colder and when the ambulance gets there, I can't get up on my own. I've lost too much blood, and I know it's too late. The baby and Booth are both gone. _

My hands travel to my stomach and I can't breathe. The child is there, and Booth is…I look over on the other side of my bed and realize he's not here. Maybe he's up already. Then it hits me. He was never here. Angela slept in my bed last night. Not Booth. I haven't seen him in three days. I want to see him.

I put my clothes on and move outside my room. Angela is already up and her energy astounds me. I can't believe how she can be so alert all the time.

Sneaking past her is impossible. It's like she's my mother with eyes in the back of her head.

"And where are you going?" She asks.

I don't answer at first. She knows where I'm going.

"No." She says "You're staying here."

"I want to see him, Angela, see him. As in look at him and see that he's back. For real."

"I know, but I should talk to him first, so he knows what's going on."

"Why can't I do that?" I ask.

"Because…" She takes a deep breath, "He'll get distracted."

Well. At least she's honest.

I stand there with my mouth shut.

There's a knock on the door, and I go to answer it, but Angela's faster.

"Go to your room." She says.

"No." I refuse to be told what to do. I'm not a kid.

"Sweetie, just go."

"No way. I'm staying."

"It's Booth."

No? Really? I feel I'm getting annoyed with Angela now. Of course I know its Booth. Otherwise she wouldn't have me going to my room.

"I want to stay."

"Sorry, but you're a distraction."

"What?" I can't believe what I'm hearing.

"Just go. Now!"

I obey. When she becomes my mother and talks to me like I'm five years old, then I can't disobey. I hate it.

I go to my room and slam the door, but I stay close behind it, with one ear to the door. I may not be allowed outside, but I am not going to be left out of this.

_**Xoxoxo!**_


	18. Booth 9

_**Okay all, prepare for some angst here…just a quick reminder (in case you didn't know heh) Bones premieres in a DAY! :D**_

**Booth**

"Um, hi Angela. May I please speak to a Doctor Temperance Brennan? I believe you are familiar with her work? World renowned Forensic Anthropologist? Author of countless books…brown hair, usually seen in a dark blue lab coat- Nope? Nothing?" She has a dangerous look burn to life behind her dark irises.

"Don't try to be funny or sweet talk me. And no you cannot speak to _Doctor Brennan_, Booth."

"Why not? Where is she?" I step into the apartment without being welcomed in.

"She doesn't need to be disturbed right now."

"Did she come to that conclusion, or did you?"She advances on me and I'm shuffled into the kitchen.

"Okay sweetie, let's get this straight. I get that you are expecting to just walk in here and sweep her off her feet like some kind of white knight in shining armor, super hero or whatever, but I have to lay down some strict ground rules first."

"You said you were going to help us 'iron this out.'"

"And that is exactly what I'm doing. Never said it was going to be pleasant."

"Angela, don't take this the wrong way, but you're not Bones' mother. She is a grown woman and can make decisions for herself. And if you don't mind, I really _really _need to talk to her right now. So-" I begin to push by her, but a tight grip on my shoulder stops me.

"Sorry, but do you not get the meaning of the word: 'time?' Or do I need to spell it out for you?"

That was a snide blow. I turn to face her, "Maybe I can make you understand the meaning of the phrase: 'stand aside,' or the less polite, 'move.'" She glares at me.

"Booth do you realize what it was like around here without you?"

"I just had a long discussion with Cam, Ange, I swear to you that I get it." The laugher that rings out seems spiteful and unlike her.

"Do you? I don't think you do. I'm not talking about Brennan's pregnancy; I'm talking about when she first learned you were dead. She abruptly ended her time in Maluku, rushed back here and didn't eat or sleep for what felt like months. Screaming out in the middle of the night while horrific nightmares taunted her; absolutely comatose; dark circles under her eyes, she was thinner than ever…After all that time we almost thought she wasn't going to bounce back, that this was the thing that finally destroyed her."

"Angela it really hurts to even think about all of that. But don't you see? That's why I'm here, to make amends for all the pain I've caused, to heal the both of us. To, to prove to her that this will never happen again and that she is worth loving for all time. That she deserves that. Finally, peace for the both of us and… our child. I want her to realize that we have the chance to be a real family."

"I know you're a charmer Booth. Listen, I do get that you have a good heart, trust me, I do, but I just can't bear to see anything like this happen to my best friend again. We, the team, can't stand it either…It's enough to drive anyone crazy-"

Tears begin to well in her shadowy eyes and I feel an agonizing stab of guilt.

"Angela, I'm sorry, before, I didn't"-

Before I know it, she has her arms around me and is hugging me tightly. She then unexpectedly punches me in the arm.

"Ouch! What the hell was that for?" …Women.

In this moment of surprise, I didn't hear the bedroom door crack open or the soft footsteps on the hard wood floor. So when the familiar voice rings out in the room, I am dumbfounded.

"Angela, that is enough."

"Bren, I was just trying to get Booth here to physically feel the seriousness of this situation. And there's a lot more where that came from. So if you'll excuse us"-

"Angela…please leave us." I stand there in a kind of stupor and admire Bones as she takes control of the conversation.

"I guess there's no avoiding this now." Angela says. Accepting defeat, she sighs deeply, turns to me and in a whispered but forceful tone says: "If I let you see her, promise not to do anything that will make me want to punch you again."

"Scouts honor." A half grin appears on my face and she leaves the apartment. Closing the door quietly behind her, she leaves Bones and me in a stony silence as we look into each other's eyes.

"Did you uh, get my messages?"

"Every last one." She says as she attempts to smile. "Would you like to talk?"

I am taken aback by her forwardness because this doesn't seem like Bones. She's not exactly the type to jump at the chance to openly talk about her feelings, (not in any circumstances).

"Your conversation with Angela was difficult to ignore."

"Oh. Um, well yeah. Talking is exactly what I want to do."

Nodding, the smile slowly fades from her face. She walks from the kitchen to the window of her balcony, the cloudy day casting a heavenly glow over her features. As if an icy chill has overcome her, she pulls her sweater more closely around her slight frame.

I don't really know where to begin and decide its best to start with a heartfelt apology. But some things feel impossible to translate into words.

"Bones, I am so-"

"Eight months, one week and four days…" She says in an impassive voice, still not looking at me, engrossed in the congested traffic below.

"What?"

"Eight months, one week and four days Booth."

"I don't know what that means."I say without really thinking.

She turns towards me and her face is unreadable. This feels unfamiliar. Her initial tenderness is gone and she suddenly looks irritated.

"How long you've been gone."

"Oh..right."

"Why are you here Booth?" I am startled by the unexpected iciness that latches itself to her words.

"Bones I am here because I missed you and there are so many things to say-"

"I think we've established that you are here to speak with me. Let's not get too repetitive, it's unproductive, therein hindering _progress_." She says. Her mounting anger baffles me.

"Well okay then, if my answers aren't satisfactory, why are you standing here talking to me Bones?"

"This is my apartment"- I ignore her.

"Weren't you hoping to talk with me too? Why do you want to talk with me Bones?"

"No. No!" She points a long finger at me. "You don't get to do that. Turn my own question around on me, do not manipulate my words so you can use them against me Booth!"

"I wasn't Bones."

"I never said I wanted to speak with you!" That has to be a lie.

"I want an honest answer from you Bones! You know why I am here, it's because"- Silence prevails. What is wrong with me?

It's now or never. I go on. I just have to let it all come out.

"Don't you see? You know perfectly well why I'm here! I worship the ground you walk on; I've pined after you every single second I was away in that hellhole. You haunted my very dreams and most gruesome nightmares! Everything I did to survive out there, you made me stronger, because I had to see you again, hold you again, be with you. Before all of this, I put my heart on the line-"

I press my rough fingers to the cloth of the thin t-shirt on my chest. "-I tried to let you go because you said we could never be! I tried to let you go! You wanted me to move on, that was your decision! By telling me that it was impossible…you said you couldn't change, but I never asked you to change! I never wanted you to! I wanted you just the way you are! Couldn't you see that? You deny that you can love Bones, but I saw it every day I worked with you. You deny that you aren't in tune with your emotions, but these are all lies!Sure! You're thinking your not sure how you'll feel in thirty years or forty or fifty…hell we don't know if we'll make it through tomorrow, but we live in the moment and follow our hearts. I feel like we have something worth fighting for. If you claim that we're hopeless and not meant to be, then okay, I will stop…then it will end, I would never force you to do something you didn't want to, to be with someone you didn't want to be with. But there are things you are hiding from me. I can sense it. Whatever happens, I have to be in my child's life. What about you? There must be something you have to say after all this time! What do you have to say Bones?" My voice is cracking horribly now.

She says nothing, but despite not talking she's breathing heavily and looks flushed. "Bones are you alright? Please, sorry, I, look you don't need to get upset, but we just really need to talk about this…" I try to touch her and she slaps my hand away.

"You can't keep doing this to me Booth, dying…" She rests her hand against her chest.

"I will never ever…"

"I've heard that before, I don't know if I can trust you ever again"-

"I had no ch"-

"If this ever happens again, then you can't, you can't come back…"-

"What are you saying?" I say in a strangled whisper.

Trying to ignore my words, she attempts to move, but in doing so, bumps the side table that sits near the balcony window. The unsteadiness causes a vase of roses to tumble to the floor. Water, glass and white petals lay strewn about…a gleaming mess upon the cherry wood.

"Damn…" She bends down and starts picking up jagged pieces of broken glass.

"Hey it's okay, I've got it. Bones, watch it, you'll cut yourself."

"I think I can handle it."

"I never said you couldn't. Here just let me clean this up-" I try to bend down to join her, but she holds up a hand to stop me.

"Stop! Stop telling me what to do, it's obnoxious! Have you forgotten that I am independent woman or do you need me to remind you?"

"I know you are Bones and I'm not trying to dictate your actions, I only have your best interests at heart." I say hovering above her.

Her face softens a bit at my words and the tears prepare themselves to fall, but to no avail. The moment of vulnerability is short lived. She returns to the task at hand but with a sharp intake of breath, scarlet droplets begin to speckle the petals lining the floor. A trail of blood streams down the palm of her hand.

"Here, hang on…" I pull out a handkerchief from my pocket, kneel down, take her hand gently in my own and dab the deep cut.

"You should run your hand under some cold water." Our eyes are locked, frosty blue and warm chocolate crash into one another, the colors mixing.

"I-…" We remain on the floor, she in an effort to finish cleaning the mess, I to prevent her from carrying on.

"Stop Temperance." I grab her wrist. Her eyes look like sparks have erupted in them as she hears her real name leave my lips. "No more running. You have to tell me what you feel." I help her up and we stand together. I move closer while grabbing her uninjured hand. I place it over my heart. I am half surprised she doesn't recoil.

"What do you feel?" I then place my other hand on her heart, "What do you feel? In here?"

She's still not ready to give in, to surrender. She's fighting this…still. She acts as though nothing I've said has reached her ears. I know that this is her defense, that in a time of fear and desperation she encases herself behind walls where no one can reach her. But I've already climbed these walls, knocked them down, she can't rebuild them so quickly…

"I have to think about my baby, Booth." Her voice is quiet at first, but it becomes stronger and more forceful with every word (she meant for that statement to cause pain). She pulls her hand from my chest and places it forcefully down by her side. Beads of blood drip onto the floor. I do feel the sting of these words and can't keep the anger at bay.

"Bones this is our baby. This is _our_ baby!"

"I need a stable Father figure in this child's life."

"This is my baby"-

"No Booth! This is _my baby!" _She roughly slams my chest with her hands. She hits my chest again and again, continuing to push me farther and farther away with each blow (both literally and figuratively). Blood stains the fabric of my shirt. "You were going to break your promise Booth! You weren't going to be able to meet me at that coffee cart! You weren't going to be there! You were not going to be _here_! YOU WERE NOT GOING TO BE HERE BOOTH!" She's banging my chest as hard as she can and is screaming at the top of her lungs. I try to hold her back but half take a beating from her. I've never seen her lose control like this…it's frightening.

I hold onto her wrists and she's struggling hard, but she eventually she gives up the fight. That's when the dam breaks.

The tears overflow and they don't cease, she's breathing shallowly and everything that she's ever held in, everything that was ever "compartmentalized" and buried within her soul rises to the surface. Her sobs are shrill and all I can say is: "Bones, Bones." The sight of this outburst has caused me to panic now and I can't keep my voice steady. "Bones its okay, its okay, shhhhh, its gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay." I try to grab her shoulders and hold her steady, as she covers her eyes with her hands.

When she hears these words she grabs onto me and pulls me into the tightest hug. Wrapping her arms firmly around my neck she holds on for dear life. The tears are endless. I wrap my arms around her.

The only response I hear are rapid, raspy whispers of: "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I'm sorry, so sorry, just don't leave, don't leave, don't go-"

"Shhhh, shhh, I'm here, everything is gonna be okay, everything, I'll take care of you"-

Drained and still weeping, we sink down to the floor in one another's arms. We can't let go; we don't want too, we can't…entwined figures are cloaked in the newfound sunlight that paints the bloody petals surrounding us.

_**Thanks for all the reviews! Xoxoxo! **_


	19. Brennan 10

_**Mow that I'm settled here, halfway around the world and all, I, She, am back in business! And here's the next Brennan chapter, I hope you like it, and I appreciate all reviews that we got while I was gone (Wooo! Over 100!) **_

**Brennan**

I can hear the argument. It's almost as if I'm in the room with them. I can hear that he wants to talk to me and I can hear Angela's protectiveness. She finally starts crying.

I can't stand it. They can't fight. I need to see him. I exit the room.

"Angela, that is enough."

He looks at me. In shock. And that's when I realize that this was the worst thing I could possibly have done.

Angela leaves after I've asked her, and Booth stays. I know I wanted to see him, but seeing him again stirred up all the angriness I have held inside due to his disappearance, alongside all the grief.

I know we fight, but I don't remember anything of it. It's like there's another part of me that's detached from my mind, like a completely different person, and before I know it, I'm on the floor with him, my hand bleeding, smashed glass, water and bloody petals everywhere.

And there we sit. Silent. And I can't believe what I've just said. The parts I remember at least. All he wants to do is help, and I push him away. It's a wonder he hasn't taken off yet.

I decide not to lean against him, but sit up beside him.

"Do you realize what this has been like for me?" I ask, but don't give him the opportunity to reply "It's been hell. I'm tired of explaining to people why I did this; because you were dead, and because you wanted this for me. A piece of a possible future, a piece of…"

"Me?" He asked. I don't say anything. Of course he's right.

"You don't understand what it has been like, for me." I say instead "Every day. The looks. The whispers when they think you can't hear."

"Who? Angela, Hodgins? Cam?"

I shake my head and continue.

"No, not them. The other people. Their own assumptions. They think I'm crazy, having a dead man's baby. Angela, Cam and Hodgins all know why I've done this. You don't know what it's been like for me, here, with those people, for months. I don't think it's fair." I start to cry.

He puts his arm around me and starts to shush me again, saying it will be fine.

"You don't know, you don't know, you don't know." I say in between the sobs. He can't possibly understand the pain this plan I had has caused me. The stares I can live with, but the whispers and gossip. That was too much.

"_I heard it's the dead Agent's baby…" "How can she think that will help her to move on?" "She's insane." "I can't believe she's having a baby with a dead man." "I wonder how she will manage the baby, I mean, I don't know her, but people don't like her…"_

They all think I can't hear them, but I can. I realize what this looks like but that doesn't mean the words hurt less.

This sends me in to another ten minutes of crying.

"Bones, I don't know what will happen to us." He says when I'm finished "But I want you to know that I'm behind you one hundred percent. I'll help you in any way I can. Whatever you want, I'll try and get it for you."

"I don't even want to think about what happened to you out there."

"We don't need to talk about that now…there is a time and place for everything."

We sit there a little while before I reply, and I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but here it goes.

"Stay."

He nods

"Whatever you want."

We fall silent.

"Do you want to know the sex?" I offer, as a peace-offering.

"No." He shakes his head and smiles towards me. I look down in to the floor. I feel bad for knowing now. I couldn't resist when the doctor asked, but I can keep a secret.

I don't tell him and we sit quiet again.

"We could always think of baby-names."

For an hour we sit, debating over which names to pick if it was a boy or a girl; "I like Andrew." "Bones, you slept with an Andrew. No way." "How about Ella?" "I had a doll named Ella, but Russ broke it when I was four. I never forgave him for that. How about Beth?" "Beth was my Nanna's name, who walked out on my family." "Marie?" "It's too plain."

And that's how we get into our second argument that evening, though it was less painful.

We finally end up with Lea and Michael for first names, and Victoria and Theo for second names. I wanted the name Magdalena for a girl too, but Booth said that two names would be enough.

"If it's a boy, I want to call him Theo." I say and Booth agrees.

"And if it's a girl, let's call her Lea." He said

"I wish we could use the name Magdalena…" I repeat for the third time, I think.

"Bones, we've been over that; we should save some names if we have more kids."

That reply has gotten me thinking.

"Booth, you know, we've never actually…well, done it." I say.

"Done what?" He asks and as I move my hands around my stomach he gets it "Oh…"

"Maybe we should, you know, try it. After all, we're going to have a baby together."

He looks at me, trying to figure out if I'm joking.

"Bones, I don't want you to do this just because we're having a baby. I only want us to go through with it because you love me. You love me?"

I lean forward and kiss him, passionately, on the lips.

"Does that answer your question?" I ask, but before I know it, he's on his feet and he's dragged me on to mine as well, and we're walking towards the bedroom, kissing as we go.

_**Please review as good as you did when I wasn't here =] **_


	20. Booth 10

_**Next chapter! Is it Thursday yet? *Checks calendar* Nope? *Sigh*….Yay for fluff ;)**_

**Booth**

I feel as if I've strolled into dream and try to distinguish between what is real and what isn't. I quickly realize that this is happening. Soon we're lying on her bed surrounded by pillows and sheets and we are immediately immersed in one another.

Each minute that completes this moment is a heavenly blend of breath and passion. Sinews are ablaze and emotions rage on. My fingers claw through the auburn tresses while her arms tighten around my back. If this is a figment of my imagination, I pray internally to never wake up or snap out of this trance.

And here we are. The coming together of two beings, partner and partner, man and woman, bodies and souls forever intertwined in the love that we've have shared from the very beginning (but failed to fully acknowledge until now)._"I knew right from the beginning…" _And now it feels more real…a reality like no other.

We surrender ourselves to one another, kissing fiercely and lovingly until nightfall as the shadows of moonlight lull us into a peaceful slumber. A sleep devoid of nightmares, hallow voices and pain.

The hours slip by and it's mid-morning when I awaken next to her. She's facing me, still submerged in a deep sleep. Her beauty enthralls me and the nagging pain the both of us felt hours before is absent from her face. The torment she has endured has faded, if only for these few moments. Something time will hopefully heal completely.

The gentle rise and fall of her chest and occasional flicker of her eyes lids gives me a feeling of completeness. The mother of my child. The love of my life. The beat of my heart. My severe guilt from before has eased slightly.

How I can't wait to hold that little child in my arms. I will never forget what it felt like to hold Parker for the first time, fresh to the world. It seems impossible to describe it now…a weight of responsibility shifts onto your shoulders and you feel unable to let that child out of your sight. You strive to keep them enveloped in a protective gaze. You feel your life blossom, summed up in a mix of strength and defenselessness. There is no other feeling like it. Unexplainable.

I glance over to Bones' sleeping form and begin to wonder about what she knows that I do not. If we are having a son or a daughter…only time will tell. The answer lies within the deep recesses of her mind.

Getting out of bed and pulling a delicate blanket up upon her bare shoulder, she slightly stirs in her sleep only to snuggle more closely to her pillow.

Locating the ingredients to make breakfast, the smell of coffee must have wafted into the bedroom because I hear stirring in the other room.

"Booth? What's all this?" She looks to be in high spirits but is a bit surprised nonetheless as she walks into the kitchen.

"Well Bones, I am going to make you breakfast. You still love pancakes right?"

"I suppose I could go for some breakfast." She says while sitting down at the kitchen table.

"Great, the 'Seeley Booth Special' coming up."

She is silent for a bit, but smiles tenderly.

"Thank you Booth."

"Well, you know me Bones, I've always been an accomplished Chef. Emeril and I are tight."

She laughs heartedly.

"You know who Emeril is?"

"Of course I know who Emeril is Booth….bang! Right?"

"It's more of a…BAM!" As I throw a bit of flour into the thick batter before me.

She gets up from her chair, walks over to the stove and places a smooth hand over mine. "Thank you Booth." Our eyes say a lot without having to utter long winded sentences.

"You're welcome Bones…Now let me show the perfect technique of cracking an egg."

"Booth, I know how to crack an egg. You know how self sufficient I can be."

"Oh ho ho, but I doubt you are familiar with my approach. It never fails. Here, let me show you." I take her hand and place an egg inside it, spin her gently around and guide her hand to the bowl. We burst into laughter as half of the egg's shell ends up in the batter, both of our hands having crushed it.

"Uh, well that's bound to happen every once in a while. You just need to refine your technique Bones, then you'll be perfect."

"Oh yeah? How's this Booth?" She takes a bit of flour on her finger off the counter and brushes it over my nose then surveys my face.

"Yes, I think that's a good look for you." She says giggling.

"Ooo you're gonna pay for that one Missy!" I hug her in my arms playfully as our laughter is mixed with the sizzling of pancakes.

This is the beginning of a wonderful life.

_**Review? Yes? =)**_


	21. Brennan 11

**Short chapter, I know, and I'm sorry for the delay...For some strange reason, I'm now extremely popular, and I am going places more or less every day...I know, I'm surprised too :P**

**Brennan**

That will be something I remember forever. That moment in the kitchen with Booth. So idyllic, timeless and perfect. However, I know it can't last forever. But for now, I want to hold on to this moment for as long as possible.

We sit down and have breakfast in peace, but we can't stop looking at each other. It feels like my first crush all over again.

"So, Bones, when is Theo or Lea due?" He asks. I can tell he's been wanting to ask that for a long time.

The question I dread. It always makes me want to cry. Even when I think about it in hindsight.

"Bones?" He asks again and I can tell he's concerned. I hear something drip and I feel my cheek. I'm crying.

I've cried so much I've forgotten what it feels like. I don't even notice it when it happens.

"Sorry." I mumble and wipe the tears from my face.

"Don't ever apologize for crying…" He says and wipes the last couple of drops from my right side.

"It's just… whenever I think about it, I start crying." I confess "I thought I'd be over it by now."

"You thought you'd be over what?" He doesn't get it.

I swallow and take a deep breath.

"May twentieth." I say and look at him. "That's the due date."

"And what haven't you gotten over yet?"

"I thought I had gotten past the significance of the date." I reply.

"What's so special about it?" He wants to know and I glare at him.

"It's one year." I say angrily and the tears are coming again.

"One year since what?"

"Since you left me at the airport without even a hug!" I almost yell. "You just held my hand! NOTHING MORE!"

He walks over to my chair and stands behind me. He hugs me.

"I'm sorry Bones. I know I wasn't here eight months ago, but I'm here now and we can hug as much as you want. I promise."

I stand up and hug him properly. It feels nice. Safe. I know now that this is what I want. This is what I've always wanted.

I look up and we're almost the same height. Our lips are only an inch apart and my lips meet his and we start kissing intensely until I start feeling something.

I break free and he looks at me strangely.

"I think the baby's moving." I say. I sound a bit shocked, I realize, but I think I'm right. Before I know it, his hands are on my stomach and I can see his face widen in a smile.

"Wow." He smiles and laughs "You know, I never felt Parker move."

"This is the first I've felt it." I say and he smiles even wider, and I can tell he's happy to feel his baby's first noticeable movements.

We spend the rest of the day in our PJ's, or I wear pajamas and Booth just wears a large T-shirt and boxers, and we watch movies. Although, it's more kissing than actually paying the movies any mind.

Booth rearranged my living room so the floor in front of my TV, that I bought a few months ago, and he's taken out mattresses and put them on the floor, along with my covers so we lie there and snuggle for a while. Although it feels really corny, I don't wish to be anywhere else right now.

We fall asleep watching a movie, whose name I can't recall, and it just feels perfect. I can't wait to wake up again with him here. It's the way it should be.

**Please leave a little review =]**


	22. Booth 11

_**I think this is the fluffiest thing I have ever written xD But hey with all the angst in light of the premiere of Season Six floating around here, we could all do with some BB moments that make you go "aw" right? Enjoy! **_

**Booth**

And so, the month of January has drifted by in great haste as old wounds begin to knit themselves together. The severity of pain lessened, a feeling of contentment settling over us. Although the invisible injuries are still present, Bones and I have begun the long process that healing entails. We spend every waking moment together, as if joined by the hip. Tonight was going to be no different.

I had told her that tonight was our night, different than usual…that conversation stands out quite vividly in my mind.

"_I'll pick you up at 7:00 p.m. on the nose." _

"_Booth, in the past month you've been practically living here… don't you think it's a little silly for you to, well: 'pick me up?'"_

"_Therein lies the romance Bones!" _

"_The romance?" _

"_Work with me here…I am picking you up." I say winking at her mischievously. There's no way she's escaping this. _

"_All right then, I'll be sure to make myself look presentable." _

"_Your beauty knows no bounds…" I'm glad she doesn't feel like this statement is a sarcastic jab, because every word of the sentence is truthful. The fresh pink tint that rushes to her cheeks sends a chill through me. This healthy hue intensifies the depth of those sapphire orbs. _

"_That was very poetic…I'll be waiting…" she says with a look of devotion. This look is something that I have long craved to see, and now I am seeing it every day. _

"_I'll be here…"_

And here we are, having parked the car a block away; we walk hand in hand, the mid February air lightly caressing our faces. We pass local cafes that are adorned with paper hearts, streamers and red confetti. Eye catching advertisements of chocolates, flowers and cards are impossible to miss. Each window display is faithfully dedicated to bringing man and woman closer on this fateful holiday. Valentine's Day.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Well, I mean, we're both great."

"Good."

"You didn't tell me that this was a 'Valentines' related date."

"Now if I told you that, we wouldn't be here now would we?" She stays silent, but a glimmer of a smile is on her lips.

"You always told me you hated Valentine's Day, that it's a clever ruse for Hallmark and Hersheys to further their plan for world domination or something..."

"I don't find it detestable anymore."

"Why is that?" I inquire.

"My circumstances have changed." I grasp her hand tighter, my arm wrapping protectively around her shoulder. We are wrapped in the comfort of our black button down coats and the warmth of one another's arms.

"Where are we going Booth?"

"I am sworn to secrecy"-

"By who?" She looks at me incredulously.

"The Valentine's Day Gods Bones. Now if I told you right this minute it would spoil the surprise."

"You do realize the historical resonance of this holiday, it is named after an estimated one or several Christian martyrs that were deemed: 'Valentine.' More importantly it was developed and established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 A.D., therefore, there are no Gods involved, per say..."

She ends with a sweet: "I just thought you'd like to know."

I just glance at her and we share a smile.

Walking through the glow of warm lights in shop windows and streetlights overhead, we quickly approach our destination.

"Now Bones, you're going to have to close your eyes until I say you can open them, okay?"

"Booth…"

"Trust me Bones. You do trust me don't you?" She gives me a crooked grin and complies. "Yes."

Gently placing my hands atop her slender shoulders, I guide her footsteps over the bumpy cold ground.

"You can open them now."

Opening her eyes, she places a hand over her mouth at the sight of it. We are nestled within the Jeffersonian rose gardens, although the place is long devoid of natural roses (due to the winter chill), the remaining plants are twinkling with white lights and a table ahead with a cream table cloth is strewn with red rose petals. Candles delicately adorn the surface while portable heating lamps surround the area so we can remain warm in the crisp winter air.

"Booth this is…this is just…" I am on pins and needles waiting to hear her thoughts. "How did you do this?"

"I have my ways Bones."

"Thank you. It's beautiful! I...no one has ever done something like this for me before."

"You're welcome Temperance." Taking her coat from her shoulders reveals a ravishing red dress. Something that was concealed until now.

"I thought you didn't know this date was Valentines' day related."

"Well...I suppose I had a...inkling."

"You look stunning." She murmurs a 'thanks' and directs her eyes to the stars above. The heavenly lights twinkle in her eyes. She makes her way to sit down at the table, but I grab her arm.

"Will you dance with me Temperance?"

"I'm not a great dancer..."

"You're a wonderful dancer." Memories of our first dance in an old high school gym (that was a place of dull pain for her) flashes before my eyes.

"Please?"

"Well, we don't have any music..."

"I'll take of it." I say.

Her self-consciousness begins to melt away with every step we take together. I take her right hand in mine, and place my other hand on the small of her back. We fit together nicely.

We stand where the stars and glistening lights burn together in unity. We sway back and forth and I hum an unrecognizable tune into her ear as she snuggles more closely into my shoulder.

I kiss the top of her forehead affectionately and that's when I find my voice.

"Do you believe in fate?" I whisper. After a drawn out pause, shock mingles with pride.

"Absolutely."

**_Reviews make me wanna give you all high fives ;) _**


	23. Brennan 12

_**I want to apologize once again for the delay (this time I was helping out my cousin when her husband was abroad) And I want to let you know that I really do appreciate all of your comments, even though I'm terrible at responding to them. =)**_

**Brennan**

The Valentine's date was lovely. It was greater than anything that I've ever done in my life. It was pure heaven. Magical. But since then, everything has gone downhill.

Valentine's Day was about a week ago, and in the past couple of days we've done nothing but argue. Our latest dispute was over work.

"Bones, no. You can't do it." Booth says and puts his suit on. He had gone back to the FBI, but he was opposed to me doing my job.

"Why not?"

"Because it's dangerous, and I say so." He says and looks me in the eyes.

"I don't get it. It was dangerous before and I did my job then."

"Yes, but it's not all about you anymore. I don't want to risk Theo or Lea's life. Let's face it; you can't protect all of you anymore. Please, just listen to what I'm saying."

"Booth, I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself. I want to work."

"Bones, do you hear any of the words coming from these lips?" He points to his own "It. Is. Not. Just. About. You. Anymore."

"What about you?" I change the focus a bit. "What about your work? Isn't that dangerous?" We haven't been allowed to work together since he got reinstated, and I think part of the annoyance was that he wasn't able to be there to protect me anymore.

"What do you want me to do, Bones? Give up my job?"

"That's what you're asking from me." I say and look at him.

"No." he says. "I'm asking you to either do paperwork or go on maternity leave. I can't go on maternity leave. I'm a guy and can't take out my paternity leave until the baby's born."

"But you can do paperwork." I say and fold my arms "If I have to do it then so should you. It's only fair."

Booth is about to say something but stops himself.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do." He says and I go over to hug him.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I've lost you twice and I can't stand to lose you again." I say.

He puts his arms around me and kisses my cheek.

"I'm sorry." He says. But never reveals what he's sorry for.

These kinds of fights are becoming more and more regular. The baby hates it, because whenever we start raising our voices, the baby moves and kicks. I try to stay calm, because it doesn't twist and turn as much then.

I'm approximately six and a half months pregnant when the spring arrives. I can see the first few leaves on the tree burst out. On that morning, the seventh of March, it happens.

As I'm standing over the work tables on the Jeffersonian platform, my head suddenly starts spinning a little and then, before I know it, everything turns black and I hear someone calling my name in the background.

The next thing I know is that someone is dabbing my forehead as I wake up.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" I hear Angela ask me. She's close to my face. Hodgins is hovering at the same height and he's the one with the damp cloth at my face. Cam is in the background, looking concerned.

"I'm fine." I sit up and I can feel the baby move. Thank god!

"I'm going to take you to the hospital." Cam says.

"Why? I'm fine."

"Because you hit your forehead so you probably need stitches and because you're pregnant." She says in a matter-of-fact-tone and I know she's right.

"Fine." I sigh as Angela helps me up. "But you're not calling Booth."

"Why not? You hit your head on the steel table, sweetie." Angela says. "And you know he's going to worry when you come home with a big gash on your head."

"Angela, it will be fine. Please just don't call him." I dread the questions I'll be facing if he knows I was working on a case. It wasn't that much, just lab-work, but somehow I doubt Booth will see the difference.

"Okay." she says and I follow Cam to the car.

We're driving when I realize it.

"She already called him, didn't she?"

Her silence says it all.

_**Please comment :) **_


	24. Booth 12

_**Hey all! Hopefully you are still enjoying our story ;) Stinks that Bones is on hiatus AGAIN right? *Sigh* November needs to come pronto…**_

**Booth**

I feel chained to my desk when the twilight radiance of Washington D.C. begins to shine into my office through the thick blinds. I feel incredibly groggy after throwing myself into this tedious paperwork. I'm anxious to pick up Bones and head out for a light dinner or spend a quiet evening in her apartment.

As the painstakingly slow clock on the wall reaches five o'clock p.m., I grab my coat, dash out of the door and practically jog to my car. My footsteps sound hollow in the parking garage. As I place my hand on the door handle of my car, the ringing of my cell phone chimes in my pocket.

"Booth."

"Booth its, Angela." I hear that her voice is a pitch higher than usual. That can't be good. My natural instincts take over.

"What is it Angela? What's wrong? Where's Bones?"

"Booth, Brennan fainted today while working on the platform examining remains. She hit her head pretty hard, I think she may need stitches…"

"What? Does she have a concussion or anything? Where is she now? Angela, why was she working on her feet? She is supposed to be cooped up in her office doing paperwork!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. She's okay, I think she just overdid it. Hodgins, Cam and I took care of her. Cam is going to take her to the hospital. She's probably not going to be happy that I called you."

"Well what was I going to think when she came home tonight with a bloody, stitched up forehead?" I can't keep the anger from creeping up into my voice.

"Cam will meet you at the hospital Booth, a lot of stress is the last thing Brennan needs right now…"

I hang up, jump in the driver's seat and reverse rather abruptly. Driving into the midst of DC's swarming rush-hour, I am reminded of the major benefit of having a siren…

Stepping into the hospital lobby, images and sounds pass by in shadow as my eyes scan the area for a familiar face. Hurriedly asking a receptionist where I could locate a Dr. Temperance Brennan, I am surprised to find that she has been admitted. I was expecting to find her in the emergency room, sitting patiently waiting for my arrival. It was so easy to imagine her sitting there, reprimanding me for overreacting. I could practically hear her lightheartedly claiming she would never overwork herself again and that it was a habit that she has yet to overcome.

I am directed to the third floor and there she is, the door to her room is wide open, revealing to passerby that the left side of her forehead is delicately stitched. She gazes half heartedly out the window. Under the covers she wears a hospital gown, but otherwise looks healthy.

I gently knock on the opened door. "Bones…" Her initial reaction is one of happy surprise, but it quickly transforms into embarrassment. "Hi Booth."

"Are you alright? What happened? Where's Cam?" I say. Strangely enough, concern fills her eyes at the sight of me, kneeling at her bedside. Stroking her face, I smoothly brush my fingers down the porcelain cheek bone.

"Cam went to go get coffee. I'm sorry Booth, I was working, it wasn't field work obviously, it was just lab work. Nothing dangerous, I promise you. It really wasn't anything taxing, I don't understand it…"

"You just blacked out?"

"Only momentarily…"

"Angela told me that you hit your head, so you were probably out for longer than you think."

"I….I just felt lightheaded…"

"What did the Doctor say?"

"They did some blood work and tests, but they wanted to keep me overnight for observation-"

"How are you feeling right now?"

We are quickly interrupted as a light tap is heard on the door. Charts in hand, a man of about forty-five with salt and pepper hair walks into the room.

"Hello Ms. Brennan…"

"It's Doctor-" I correct him before I can help myself.

"Ah, Doctor Brennan…my apologies. And you must be?"

"Special Agent Seeley Booth…" He approaches her bedside and holds out a friendly hand. I shake it noncommittally.

"Pleased to meet you…I'm Doctor Graham. Are you family?"

"Yes, I am the father of her child."

"Alright then. Would you care to discuss Dr. Brennan's condition?"

"Is there something wrong?" This is the first thing Bones has said since the Doctor has entered the room. I know her so well I can sense the hidden tension in her voice. The temperature in the room feels as if it has dropped a few degrees.

The Doctor pauses for a moment, as if pondering the best method to break news to us.

This hesitation causes a wave of fear to spike in my heart and I spare her a glance. Wide eyed and nervous looking, she appears to be smaller and frailer than ever before.

_**Yeah, I know cliffhangers are evil xD **_


	25. Brennan 13

**_Thanks for all your wonderful reviews! In answer to your requests, here's the next Brennan installment. Gaah, this fic has gone by so fast...not that it's finished, but still. How about a sequel, Her? :P_**

**Brennan**

I can't breathe. It's like someone punched me in the stomach. Temporarily, I feel like I'm going to faint again, but then he places his hand on mine and I can breathe normally. Somewhat. His hand feels warm against my cold skin.

"Nothing's wrong, per se." The Doctor says. This doesn't feel very comforting and my body stiffens. I think Booth notices it.

"What do you mean?" He says and actually manages to conjure the words that are stuck in my throat.

"Dr. Brennan." He's talking to me now, completely ignoring Booth. I don't like this. "Your blood pressure is slightly high. It's called hyper…"

"Hypertension, I know." I say, and I know exactly where this is going.

"Right, well, yours appear to be a pregnancy induced hypertension and I would recommend that you go on partial bed rest." My heart sinks to my stomach. I can't do bed rest. I wasn't designed to be put in a bed for hours in a row while doing nothing. It's not me.

"That's good news." Booth says and exhales. And it is. For him. And the baby. The people who doesn't have to endure it to the same extent that I do.

The Doctor leaves and I look at Booth. He must realize how painful this will be for me.

"Booth, I don't know if I can do this" I say and I realize that my nails are digging in to the back of his hand. He doesn't seem to care.

"You can do it." He says and kisses my head. "I believe in you."

"Booth, you don't understand. This is painful for me. I can't be restrained to a bed. Not get to do anything. I will go insane."

"I think you're over reacting." He says and half-laughs.

"I am not!" I half-scream "I-n-s-a-n-e." Do I really have to spell it out for him?

"There will be plenty of things to do." He tries to encourage me, but I don't see why this is so hard to understand. "You can read, and watch TV, and listen to music, and all that sort of things."

Boy, he really doesn't get it. Being confined to bed is not great. It might be nice for an afternoon, but not several hours each day for weeks. Great.

I don't say anything but sigh. There is no use trying to convince someone who already believes he knows what it's like.

He kisses my head again and the Doctor enters again with instructions. I am allowed to work for a few hours four days a week and then I have to be in bed the rest of the time, more or less. I am allowed to take showers, for which I'm thankful, but not standing on my feet for longer than that.

As we drive home the next day, we do not speak to one another. It is our most quiet moment yet, and the longest. I am confined to my thoughts at the moment and the car comes to a halt outside my house.

I exit the car to start my "new" lifestyle and a single thought runs through my head: sometimes, I wish I wasn't a woman.

_**Please leave a little review for us =]**_


	26. Booth 13

**_Hey guys! Thanks so much for the lovely reviews, a pleasure to read as always. And a sequel would be fabulous She! Should we start writing? Lol ;) _**

**_Booth_**

The weeks have passed painstakingly slow since Bones' unexpected visit to the hospital. I've been keeping a watchful eye on her due to my inability to leave her alone. I will say that my presence has kept her from lingering over remains for hours at a time, but it has not extinguished that fiery nature, that's for sure). She's been difficult; sneaking around. She actually tried to arrange it so she could indentify long lost remains via the computer, while at home. Boy did I put a stop to that.

While I'm obligated to go to work, Angela and the rest of the Squints have been kind enough to pop in every now and again; making sure she is following the Doctor's orders.

"Booth, how can I get you to understand my predicament? I do not enjoy feeling unproductive, I'm letting valuable time just pass me by…I'm missing the opportunity to make a difference in the scientific field, I have been unable to solve murders….with you-"

She sits under the silken covers of our bed, hand on her belly, enthusiastically venting.

"I get it Bones."

It has been a long and grueling day and I sit on the edge of the bed untying my tie, letting her dreary remarks go in one ear and out the other.

Crawling to her side and settling on the right side of the bed that I've claimed, I rest my head on the pillow. "Okay Bones, look, this whole arrangement isn't forever. It's just to guarantee that we have a healthy child, you know? That everyone stays healthy. When all this is over, we'll look back and think how everything we've gone through was worth it."

She exhales loudly and crosses her arms. Her expression softens a little, but it is evident that the irritation is still there.

Sensing her fury, I press my thumb and index finger to pinch the bridge of my nose. I feel a headache coming on. Sighing deeply, my crumbled tie falls to the floor in a heap. We both sit back, staring up at the ceiling. The weight of the day crashes down upon us. I will everything to be washed away as I close my eyes, welcoming sleep.

Behind my eyelids I feel a shift on the bed as she leans over to her side table to switch off the light. I can tell that the action drenches the room in a velvety darkness. There is more shuffling and I feel a weight on my chest. She rests her head and hand against me.

"I'm sorry." She whispers.

"Bones, you have nothing to be sorry for."

"I'm sorry for being hard on you."

"You have a right to be upset."

"Booth. You know you don't have to be the hero all the time…I'm sorry."

I open my eyes and lightly smile down upon her. Wordlessly, she nestles closer to me and we close our eyes in unison.

My next conscious thought finds me running. I'm sprinting down the streets of D.C. in a seemingly endless maze that I can't escape. The scene shifts and I'm rushing through the desert, in bloody army fatigues. Faceless people linger over me, a sniper rifle materializes in my hands while I continue to run. The sudden sight of _her _amplifies my panic. Bones stands firmly, yards away from me, almost lost in a whirlwind of sand. Looking as lost and fearful as I feel, her eyes widen as the madman's voice contaminates the air:

"_She'll be in the cold hard ground right along with you, but not before we finish her slowly… painfully…The time has come. For the both of you."_

I try to get to her but she is lost in shadow.

Waking with a jolt, drenched in a cold sweat, I stare at the red, blaring numbers on the digital clock: 2:30 p.m. Temperance stirs beside me.

"What's wrong Booth?" Fatigue laces her words.

"I'm fine."Me trying to reassure her, I'm never convincing. "Just try to go back to sleep."

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"Something like that."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"No."

"Why?"

I don't answer, but even in a sleepy state she is able to spout out scientific theories and psychological anomalies.

"Sweets says that human beings who have suffered distressing traumas can let go of such pent up issues and move on, but only if they can openly discuss what they are feeling. What are you feeling Booth? You can't keep everything buried in your heart."

"A. That doesn't sound like you _at all_. B. You need to stop hanging around with Sweets so much. C. You need your sleep Bones."

"Booth. Don't you want to let…what you experienced out there…go?"

"Yes, but you don't need to hear about that right now."

"There will never be a good time Booth…You promised to tell me. So why not right here, right now?"

"Because it will upset you."

"Please?"

I look into her pleading eyes, the blue glossy with the opaque light that fills the room.

"Alright."

The rest of the night is devoted to the revival of painful memories. She listens intently as I relay how a routine exercise went horribly wrong and how innocent men (sons of American families) were slaughtered without a second thought. I spoke of the Afghanistan supremacy group who scouted the area for people to aid them in their cause for domination. Her composure does not waver as I remember how her dignity and life were threatened by the man that I had refused to name. Until now. Farzam (such irony came with the meaning of his name: "worthy."). Everything came back in a rush of color and sound, and I felt transported back to this time. Months ago when I stepped into the boots of mindless killing machine…what I had done to survive.

She does not wince when I recall the threat Farzam made before I silenced him. How he had said his men would hunt me…us to the very ends of the earth if he were to fall. That didn't stop me. Scavenging for food and weaponry like an animal, I was forced to duel the ones who were left behind in the vastness of the desert.

Unblinking, I speak of the American soldiers that searched the area and found me, the daily doses of medication and treatment for dislocated joints, cracked ribs and other shattered bones, the psychological examinations, fake and unconvincing words of pity…how phrases like: "unfit to serve," and "questionable mental state" were everywhere. How I questioned my own sanity and humanity…Quickly discharged, I became known as the Sergeant who had lost control and his grip on reality. Defeated and worthless.

She can tell that I am beginning to lose it.

I've remained strong all this time, but now the tears swell. This is the first time she has ever seen me really lose composure. She continues to look at me and her poise does not waver. She places her chin on my head and pulls me close. Silent hot tears begin to fall from her cheek onto my face. Our tears blend together in a river of pain.

"Never forget who you are." She murmurs.

"I don't think I've ever known who I am." There is a long pause and all I want to do is disappear into the sheets.

"I do."

I look towards her and feel like I can't look away.

"You are a man Booth, a good one. Don't ever forget it. You are a lover and a father; you've shown me the worth of forging a meaningful relationship with someone, something that I once thought to be impossible, that I didn't deserve it. You've opened my heart to the possibility of having a family, someone who once thought that families were easily torn apart and destroyed. You make it so the righteous triumph, that the immoral fail. I now consider the belief that soul mates exist and that God…makes his presence known every day. You taught me that."

I'm rendered speechless.

"There is no one else in this world that I would want to be the father of my daughter."

"What?...D-daughter?"

She shakes her head and can't help but smile at my stunned expression.

Laughing now, I hug her and kiss her warmly.

"_Wow_…a daughter...my god" I can't believe it.

Resting against one another, the strong beat of her heart reassures me that no matter what life throws at us, no matter what hardships threaten the smoothness of our paths…the mistakes that are made; we will make them together and leave the past in the past. The happiness of it remembered and exalted, the sadness of it dissolved in the last of our tears.

_**Reviews Rock! Happy Halloween! xxxx**_


	27. Brennan 14

_**Hello lovely readers! As always your reviews are wonderful, and when we get the chance both She and I with respond to them ;) This is "Her" (Amanda) speaking, posting "She's" chapter for her. Enjoy! **_

**Brennan**

The bed rest has proven to be quite relaxing after all. I mean, I realized that relaxation would be part of it, but it has given me some time to think. And feel guilty. I think about the first couple of months, the ones that he missed, and it makes me depressed. Theoretically, he missed five months of the baby's life.

_It's my day off. About one and a half weeks since the fertilization and I am so nervous. I can't believe it. Today is the day I'll find out. I hope one embryo has stuck and that I will be able to have this baby. I am sitting alone in the waiting room and I see some single mothers come in, some couples. I twist my hands in anxiety and I really wish he was here. But he isn't. He's dead. I can feel the tears coming and I make my way to the bathroom. _

_In the doctor's office, everything is clinical. It's so clean. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it is, but it feels wrong somehow. It doesn't feel comfortable. _

_My heart beats quickly, and I can't tell who comes through the door. My mind is elsewhere. What if I can't have a child after all? Can I do this alone? Without him? Panic strikes and I am paralyzed with fear. What if I mess this up? I don't think I can live with that. _

"_Booth believed in you, so why don't you?" I hear a voice inside my head. _

_I know people talk about inner voices, but I've never experienced one before now. It scares me a bit, but I can't turn it off. _

"_Booth is dead." I remind the voice."He isn't here. It would be different if I had him here to ask him questions when these complicated situations occur." _

"_So? I think you know deep down that you can do this. Give it lots of love, and the rest will work itself out." The voice replies. Great. Now I'm schizophrenic _and_ psychological. _

_I can't believe I'm in the doctor's office and am actually having a conversation with myself. Like I didn't feel strange enough before._

_The doctor enters and I can't relax. I don't know why. I feel like something is wrong. _

_The test is performed and I tense again when she starts to speak. _

"_I have some good news; at least one embryo stuck." She smiles. "But we can't completely exclude a miscarriage." _

_How is that supposed to make me feel better?_

"_However, you are healthy so there shouldn't be any complications." _

"_Shouldn't?" I ask. I know what it means, but I would like to have her say it._

"_In some instances, the body may repel the fetus even though there is nothing physically wrong with the individual." She replies and I can feel my muscles tense, yet I can't stop it. _

"_Thank you." I exit the room and drive home. _

I can't believe how nervous I was back then. I give a small laugh, though nobody is here to hear it. I remember how jumpy I was the first month afterwards. I remember everything, as I lay here in my bed, waiting for Booth to come home. He went to work today, despite his nightmare that he told me about. I wish I could do more to help, be more like Angela and Cam, who were there for me, even though Booth must have had it ten times worse than me.

_I sit up. The nightmare's back. I have to check. The sheets are still white. I dreamt I lost the baby, that there was something wrong with me. I lean back towards my pillows and exhale. I can relax now. It was all a dream. But it's horrible. If I lost the baby, I would lose everything I have left of him. More or less._

_As I lay there, I start to daydream. I hope the baby looks like Booth. Not an identical copy, but has the features I adore; his eyes and his mouth. The chin, his impatient yet curious nature of subtle eagerness to learn new things. The things I miss the most. _

_Then I start to miss him. His energy. How happy I felt when he was around. All he did that lit up my existence comes back to me and I start to cry. It is indescribable how much I miss him and I now realize how I still love him unconditionally. How I will love the baby. Everything will work out fine. I'll be fine and the baby will be fine. Even though we don't have him anymore, I am completely confident that the baby will be brought up in a loving environment. Everyone will be there for him or her and me. _

_I look at the clock. 2:44 p.m. Four hours until I have to get up. I try to go back to sleep, but my mind wanders. I wonder what it will be?A boy or a girl? Parker would love to have a baby brother, I'm sure, but I always imagined myself with a daughter. I'm sure Booth would have been happy either way and I'm pretty confident Parker wouldn't hate me if he got a baby sister instead. Nevertheless, I wouldn't love a boy any less than a girl. That I am completely sure of._

_Somehow I slept all through the night and when morning came, Angela was at my door. She had an inkling that something was wrong, but she didn't know what. I calmed her down, telling her that everything was fine, and that she had nothing to worry about, even though I appreciated her concern. Cam had been known to express uncertain feelings too, and they had both been a great mental support to me. _

_Their supportive words and encouraging comments are appreciated, even though I know that at least Angela thinks I'm being backwards. I can't help it though. I need this to remember him. I need this to have him with me all the time. I believe that even though I was too stupid to realize it, he was my first real love and there is no chance in the world that I will let that pass unnoticed. And I doubt that this will. I will remember him forever even though he isn't here. _

Now that I think back to it, I don't regret anything. Despite the nightmares and constant worries that I would lose this child, and in the process lose him too, I have never been more certain that I made the right choice all those months ago.

I can't believe I told Booth that we're having a daughter. I didn't mean to, it just sort of slipped out and I never intended to tell him since he didn't want to know, but at least he is now aware that there's a little Lea Victoria on the way. I think back to the twelve-week ultrasound, the first time I would find out the sex of the baby.

_I am sitting in that damn waiting room again. I apologize for the language but I can't stand waiting. I am so nervous and again I decided that I wanted to be alone. People offered to go with me, but I wanted to do it alone. I can do it. I don't know who I have to prove it to, but I can do it. _

_Time moves incredibly slow and I keep fiddling with my hands. I wish he was here for this. He would probably say that I shouldn't find out the sex, and I'm not sure yet what I am going to do. Only time will tell._

"_Ms. Brennan?" A nurse calls my name and I stand up. She holds a door for me and her hands indicate the way I go afterwards. _

_She follows me and I match her pace. We enter an exam room. She tells me to have a seat and she leaves me there. Again, the time passes slowly and I watch the clock on the wall. _

"_Hello Temperance." The doctor enters. She's a little older than me, and she's one of those "how-are-we-feeling-today?" kind of people. She doesn't do it to me though, because the first time I was here I told her that she couldn't possibly know how I felt, so she gave it up. _

"_How are you today?" She asks instead, and I reply that I'm feeling fine. "Great. No morning-sickness?" _

"_A little." I reply honestly. Okay, technically that isn't true because I had severe morning sickness for about two months, but it doesn't bother me anymore. _

_She gets out the gel._

"_It's going to be a little cold." She says and I brace myself._

_The cold makes me want to scream a little. I fight it and in a few moments, the feeling is gone. She takes the ultrasound and she starts moving the transducer probe back and forth. A picture appears on the LCD screen and I'm breathless. It's my baby in there. There it is! I can't believe it. I gasp, and she looks at me and smiles. A tear comes down my cheek, and it is followed by a few more. It's partly because of the baby and partly because Booth isn't here. _

"_The baby's fine." She says and smiles. "Would you like to know the sex?" _

_I know that Booth wouldn't want to know, but I don't have the self-restraint that Booth has. I can't stand secrets if I can know. I have to know. _

"_Yes." I say and look at the screen._

"_It's a girl." She says and smiles ."You're having a daughter." _

_I'm getting a girl! My vision of my baby daughter is coming true! I'm getting my baby. _

When I look back on it, it feels like an eternity ago, not just three months.

"Bones?" Booth is home as I lie here in bed.

"In here." I call.

He comes in and lies down next to me while putting his hand on my stomach.

"How's Lea doing today?" He asks and kisses my stomach first before he kisses me.

"She's fine." I reply after the kiss. "She's calm."

"Good." He smiles at me. "How are you doing?"

"I'm well." I say. I don't like bed rest but there isn't much I can do about that. I might as well say I'm doing fine.

He kisses me again.

"Hang in there. Not long left now." And I nod in reply. "I'm going to make some dinner."

"Thank you." I say and he kisses me one last time before he leaves.

I have to say that since I was put on bed rest, Booth has been very affectionate. I pick up a book and read while I hear pots and pans, and cupboards opening and closing in the kitchen.

_**Xoxoxo!**_


	28. Booth 14

_**Hello faithful readers, thanks for sticking with us for this long! Will be replying to your reviews ASAP :D**_

**Booth**

"Something smells great." A creak of the door sends my eyes to her.

"Bones, what are you doing out of bed?"

"Booth, I understand this whole protectiveness thing, but believe me, I'm not an invalid. I've taken it easy all day, I think I can manage walking into the kitchen to come keep you company."

Grateful for her presence I say, "All right, but here, just relax…" I pull up a chair and motion her to sit down.

"You should let me help." She says, still complying and sitting down.

"No." I say, grabbing two plates from the cupboard.

She looks over to the steaming pots and pans, gets up and begins to delicately stir our meal with a spoon.

"Wow, this looks fantastic!" This conversation is starting to feel familiar. The heightening excitement in her voice is genuine.

"Yeah? Really?" I say. The roles are reversed, every moment I've spent with her can never be forgotten. The radiance of her eyes causes a grin to spread across my face.

She seems to recognize the familiarity of the conversation too. A smile blooms across her face, a heavenly flower.

"Oh, I mean, you shouldn't have, I mean, all this work just for me?" She says, actually going as far to wink.

"Having a hankering for Mac and Cheese eh?" I chuckle.

"I will always have a soft spot for the delicacy that is Mac and Cheese."

Who knew that all these years later, we would be together and closer than ever before.

The rest of our quiet night at home included our enjoyment of our hearty meal. We treasure one another's company as we spend time on the sofa. My last thought was about how lucky I am, with Bones' head resting upon my shoulder, both of us blanketed in the afterglow of the flat screen television set.

Two months have passed since then. The weather around us has become bright and spring like, flowers peppering city streets, birds filling the town with pleasant melodies, the warmth of the sun soothing to one's face.

And today, I am a man on a mission. Bones has no idea where I am, she expects I'm at work I'm sure. How wrong she is.

But today I'm not as dedicated as she. Stepping onto the smooth asphalt, crossing the street, a window display catches my attention. And there, nestled in the safety of velvet, lies a brilliant diamond wedding ring. One large round diamond in the middle is surrounded by two smaller ones on the right and left side; the band fully comprised of the sparkling gems as well. The sun rolls over it and it glitters beautifully in the pure rays. The overall effect is quite stunning. I remember...

_Months ago, late January, we had walked by this very jeweler. Arm in arm, with gloved hands, we strolled by, and the shop display stopped her in her tracks. _

"_What is it Bones?" _

"_That is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship." The window was jam packed with expensive but elegant jewelry. _

"_The ring?"_

"_Yes." She says turning to me. "It's symmetry is very pleasing to the eye."She speaks softly and a rush of breath smokes before her in the cold air. _

"_Well, maybe one day that will be yours." _

"_A wedding ring? Booth don't be absurd, you know my views on marriage." _

"_Things always change, it's inevitable, as you like to say."I throw in. _

_Although she speaks her mind forcefully, my words force the shadow of a doubt to lurk behind her eyes. _

"_All marriage is is a binding legal contract, an obligation. Who needs a piece of paper to be a symbol of a relationship?"_

"_That's not all it is Bones. It's about committing yourself to someone...Marriage isn't just about the politics, it's about being together...loving someone completely...forever and always. The ring and contract are a symbol of devotion."_

_She sighs and we continue our walk. "Always the romantic."_

"_What can I say? I'm a gentleman." She laughs, as if this is going to divert the conversation and cause it to go in another direction. I wait a few moments before I speak again. _

"_But seriously Bones, what do you see in your forever?" _

_We stop again and she looks as if she is having a difficult time of forming a deep and intelligent way to answer this question._

"_I have no way of telling what my future holds Booth." I look into her eyes and I see my reflection…I hope she sees us in her future._

"_Well I do." I lean over and kiss her forehead and we continue our night time stroll to our favorite diner, not fully acknowledging what that conversation truly meant. _

Today is the day when everything changes.

"Hi Booth. How was your day?" She's sitting on our bed, another book perched on her belly, looking kindly at me.

"It was great and how was yours?"

"Fair. I must say it was extremely productive."

"I'd like you to take a walk with me."

"A walk? Booth you know I can't-" She's chooses now to follow the bed rest rule.

"Just a little stroll into the other room..."

Holding out my hand, she grasps it strongly and we walk through the dimly lit apartment to the family room. A heavy twilight has settled over the room.

"What are we doing?"

"I just want to show you something." She looks puzzled, but slightly amused nonetheless.

"What?" We walk to the window, the sunlight is casting a kind of heavenly light over the busy city. It seems unreal, how peaceful it all looks.

"Here just look."

"At what? The sunset?" She says pointing and letting go of my hand.

"The sunset."I say.

"It is beautiful." She exhales and I rest my head on the side of her head and wrap her torso in my arms. After a long pause of just gazing at the serene sight before us I whisper in a breathy tone.

"Bones, do you remember what I said about loving someone completely...forever and always?"

She looks at me and manages to say: "Forever is…a long time Booth." I'm surprised by her answer, I was expecting something about forever not existing in the human experience.

"And it's not worth living unless you have someone to share it with."

Her face relaxes as I say these words and instead of the great convincing I thought I may have to do, it seems like there is no need for it.

Kneeling on one knee, I unveil the box and open it, revealing the ring she complimented so long ago.

"Oh my god." There is a mixture of shock and knowing resting in her eyes.

"Temperance Brennan, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"I, I-" Unable to form any words, we both smile at one another and I patiently wait for her answer.

However, her gracious smile falters as she clutches my arm, her face contorting in pain and susrprise.

"Booth..."

"What, what's wrong?"

"I think my water just broke."

_**Hehehe! And there you have it ;) **_


	29. Brennan 15

_**Thank you dear readers for following our story. Here's the next chapter! Before you read though, I have something to confess, which you'll probably be able to deduce from reading this chapter. Or It's not something bad or anything like that…What I'm trying to say is; I've never ever had a baby, so don't judge me too hard on this chapter. Believe me, this is not a conversation I would like to have with my mother…*tries to get image out of mind***_

**Brennan**

I don't know what's going on. I have a thousand things in my mind. The first is that I'm going to have a baby. Now. This instant. I can't believe it. I'm not ready for it. Not yet.

The second thing that goes through my mind is the proposal. I suppose I should have seen it coming, and yet it was completely unexpected. I guess I always thought that the man of my dreams would be obedient and settle for being with me forever. Now that the question's been asked I have to reply, and I know that I'll answer…

My train of thought is interrupted by an excruciating pain from my abdomen that quickly spreads like a wave, dying after hitting the pelvis. I lose my mind for a moment and I don't know what to do.

I cry out in pain and Booth nearly drives off the road.

"You're doing great." I hear in the background, and all I want to do is hit him. Can't he see that I'm in pain? Doesn't he know that this is unimaginable? That this is the worst pain I have ever experienced, and I can't do anything to make it stop?

No, I'm most definitely not doing great. The waves of pain come every now and again and I don't know how to control it. Why does my brain need to freeze just at this moment so I can't remember anything?

"Breathe." My inner voice is back now. I don't know how, but she tells me to breathe. So I breathe.

I don't know how long we're in that car, but I notice when we're at the hospital. Booth is acting like one of those nervous new dads, and if I wasn't in agonizing pain I would probably laugh at Booth acting this way since he's the last person I would expect to look like this.

"It's going to be fine." He repeats over and over again, and this time I'm not sure he's actually talking to me.

We get in to the hospital and I get a room. I don't know how, since I'm incapacitated at the moment and all I can do is breathe as another wave of pain rushes through me and I whine a bit.

"Please make it stop!" I beg of Booth and I cry. I think this takes place in the room, but I am extremely confused and the only voice that's crystal clear is the voice in my head telling me to breathe. So I inhale deeply.

"Bones, you're fantastic." He says, distant in my head. He kisses me at some point, but I have memory lapses every now and again because of the pain and I'm having a hard time creating a timeline.

Somewhere in the haze of everything, the Doctor enters and tells me that I have to wait a little while longer because I'm not completely dilated.

I honestly feel like smacking my doctor. As much as I love my baby girl, I hate her for doing this to me, and I want her out of me. Now. I don't need to wait. I need to have her.

After a few more rounds of pain-waves, my body's apparently prepared enough and ready to get her out of me. I know it sounds a bit disgusting, but I'm in pain, so you can't expect too much from me in this state.

"You can do this." I hear someone repeat in my ear and it takes a minute or so before I realize it's Booth. And I get annoyed.

"I would like to see you try." I mumble through clenched teeth.

"I'm not as strong as you are." He says and shakes his head. I think.

I scream out in pain when another wave, much stronger and more forceful than before, his and the doctor tells me to push.

I push, and the voice tells me to keep breathing. I do everything I'm told at this point. I just want everything to be over.

Suddenly, there's a relief of pressure.

"Head's out." The doctor says and I turn to Booth.

"Regarding our previous conversation, I accept." I say.

"Bones, you're having a baby. You don't need to use your lecture vocabulary for this." He says and strokes my hair.

I push again as another wave of pain hits me, and I try as hard as possible.

And it's over. It's finally over.

"Booth, about the question, my answer is yes."

_**Sooooo... please leave a little review! =] **_


	30. Booth 15

_**Hey all! Hopefully we still have some readers out there. With all the angst happening on the show, here is some fluff overload for all of you! ;) **_

**Booth**

_I can barely register what she's said. Her pain surges and I notice that my hand is turning purple as her vice-like grip tightens."I can't do this…" She murmurs breathily. _

"_You can and you are Bones, come on now," _

"_Can I actually be a Mom? I-I-can't. I know nothing about, I've researched, but can I really-" She cries out in pain. _

"_Yes you can Bones. You and me, we're a team, we've always been a team, you can…you can…Together we can." _

"_You can do this."I say again, she mutters something under her breath and all I can say is: "I'm not as strong as you are."_

_Her cries fill the room as another wave of pain shoots through her. _

"_Head's out." The Doctor says._

"_Regarding our previous conversation, I accept." _

"_Bones, you're having a baby. You don't need to use your lecture vocabulary for this." I try to gently caress her hair, and keep everyone calm, myself included. _

_A loud cry fills the room, our baby taking her first breath while other cries of relief echo in a chorus soon after. _

_Taking loud, deep breaths, she says: "Booth, about the question, my answer is yes."_

I cry out in surprise as tears of happiness overflow in rivers down her face. I am by her side kissing her gently on the temple and we both exhale noisily. The Doctor brings our child to us, crying but wrapped in the safety of a blanket. He places her upon Temperance's chest, and we are stunned into disbelief.

"Oh, oh…" She says. Our child is finally here and she's innocent, intact and beautiful. Perfect. Bones clutches our daughter to her beating heart, unable to look away. Unable to let go. She looks to me, as if wordlessly thanking me for always encouraging her to have children, as if she couldn't understand how she once thought she never wanted to be a mother. Amazement graces the irises of the cerulean eyes.

"You're a Dad again Booth. You have a daughter, you have a daughter…" she repeats again and again, saying it for the both of us, because this moment seems unreal, surreal; something that we never thought would come to pass.

"And you're a Mom Bones, you're a Mom…" I say, laughing, our foreheads touch as we lean together which leads to a kiss, sealing the closeness of our new family.

In this fleeting moment, nurses scurry between us in order to carry out their business, taking our child away for the time being, "You did beautifully…" I'm so proud of her, because this is something she once feared and she's now conquered it…I move the wispy tendrils that frame her face behind her ears.

"Thank you." Those two words carry so much weight and meaning.

The room is filled with shadow and the quiet of the night has crept into the entire hospital. Its way after midnight, bordering on four am. Bones lies exhausted, in the warmth of her hospital bed, resting in a deep sleep after such a draining experience. I was given a cot to sleep on, in the comfort of our private room, but a slight sound has captured my attention, rousing me from my light sleep.

I gaze down upon the pink bundle as she fusses a little bit. When I pick her up, the light crying begins to wane. Sitting down in a chair, she is wrapped in my arms. I can't believe how much our lives have changed in a matter of hours. It seems impossible and unthinkable.

"Hey baby girl," She's so small and delicate, and the memories of Parker come flooding back. It seems similar, yet so different at the same time. The weight of her head is in my hands, and the little face relaxes in contentment.

And here I am holding my own daughter…my daughter.

"Booth," a soothing but fatigued voice cuts through the darkness of the room.

"Hey baby, you okay?" I walk over to her, our child still in our arms.

"Is she alright?" I smile at the fact that Bones' maternal instincts are already kicking in in full force.

"She's doing just fine…we were just bonding."

"Can I hold her again?" She says smiling.

"Of course." Although tired, she shuffles aside to make room for me. I climb into the hospital bed and transfer our sleeping daughter into her arms.

"Hey sweet pea." She says. As the sound of Bones' voice fills the air, the little hand reaches out, and clutches onto her finger, as if recognizing the voice of her mother.

"Oh…" Wonder fills her eyes and although we haven't said a lot in the past couple of hours, a silent look from her has always conveyed so much.

"This is unlike anything I have ever experienced before." She whispers.

"There's nothing like it Bones." I lean closer to her.

"This really is one of the two best moments of my life." This nostalgic Bones is something that is so unlike her…new sides of herself coming to the surface are so nice to see.

"What was the other best moment?" I say.

"The day you walked through the doors of that lecture hall…" She continues.

"After everything we've been through Booth, all the things I wanted to say, all the years we worked together, all the things I felt, I still kept everything hidden from you. I never ever want to feel like that again, I never want to say the word: 'compartmentalize' again."

"You'll never have to feel like that again." I say.

"I want you to be able to know what I feel…forever." She speaks softly.

"You want to know one of the best days of my life?" I whisper.

"What?"

"The day you said yes."

"That was today."

"Exactly. One of the best days…" Together, we look down at the child before us.

I place a hand in my pocket, revealing the ring I had proposed with earlier. She holds out a dainty hand and I move it up upon her left ring finger and neither of us can stop smiling.

_**Reviews are amazinggggggg. 3**_


	31. Brennan 16

_**Hello everyone! My lovely co-author is doing a fantastic job updating, I see, and I apologize for the irregular updates I've been doing. I don't know why, but I just forget (how I can forget is beyond even me) and I hope you don't send an angry mob my way….**_

**Brennan. **

Everything happened so fast. Suddenly, there I was, with a baby in my arms and everything seemed perfect.

Now that I hold her again, I realize it's not. Not her physical wellbeing, she's fine, perfect in fact, but it's something mentally that's been bothering me.

"You are amazing, Bones. Do you know how fantastic you are?" he asks as he brushes my hair out of my face. I'm so glad I don't have a mirror in front of me right now.

I smile.

"I can't believe I did it," I say. I'm still in shock.

"You are the greatest woman in the world, Bones." He kisses me on the head and on my cheek. "And our Lea Victoria is just perfect."

I shake my head. Now I realize what's wrong.

"No." I say.

"Come on, Bones, what's wrong with her?" He sounds concerned.

"She's not a Lea. She's an Alice." I say simply. I don't know why I think that should be her name, but it just is.

"Alice?" he asks, confused "Alice Victoria? Bones, please tell me you're kidding. I beg you; please don't go all Twilight on me now. Otherwise we can just go ahead and name her Isabella Swan and get it over with."

"I don't know what that means." I really don't. I assume it's one of those pop-culture references… "Although I don't see why she would need Swan as her last name since we're Brennan and Booth, and I think Isabella is a beautiful name, but she's an Alice."

I will not budge. She is an Alice. She's my Alice. And I will make sure she gets that name.

Booth doesn't reply to what I say, so I decide to make him a deal.

"If she can be named Alice, you can decide a second name. Instead of Victoria." I figure it's best to add that so he understands.

He looks at Alice, and I think he agrees that it will be her name. He scans her from head to toe.

"Grace." He says suddenly. "Alice Grace. That's her name."

Alice Grace Brennan-Booth. It doesn't flow very nicely.

"I think we need to add a name. It sounds wrong otherwise."

"Bones, the names are fine."

"It needs a resistance, like in an electric circuit."

"What are you talking about?" He looks confused again.

"In an electric circuit you sometimes add a resistance to make sure the electrons doesn't move too fast from the source of energy to the target."

He knows what I'm talking about but doesn't reply.

"Booth?"

"She doesn't need another name." He says "Two names are enough."

"But she can't have a double last name." I argue. "That sounds completely wrong."

"Fine. One last name. Personally, I think Alice Grace Brennan sounds…best" He kisses me.

"Thank you." I say and smile towards him.

"Anything for you, Bones." He kisses my head again. "I love you."

"I love you too." I say and Alice starts to move in my arms and make funny noises.

Booth strokes her head and cheek.

"Welcome to the world, Alice Grace." He says "I hope you'll be happy here."

"She will be." I say "And safe. Alice is lucky that you're her father."

"She's lucky you're her mother." He replies.

I look at her.

"What if I screw it up?"

**_Reviews are always a pleasure :D_**


	32. Booth 16

_**So once again, here is our blissful distraction from the show right now. However, I think tonight's episode looks mind blowing :D :D :D Happy Bones Day faithful readers! Xxx! **_

**Booth**

1 month, 2 weeks, 5 days, 43 829.0639 minutes. The amount of time I've gone without sleep. I count the days on the calendar, just to make sure my math is right…dark bags are under my eyes and I fight to keep them open. I lean my forehead against the Flyers calendar on my office wall, and feel like I could take a power nap standing here.

Alice is over one month old, slowly turning into a beautiful little girl, but the late nights are really starting to get to me. I rub my bloodshot eyes wearily and attempt to stand steadily for a moment…

A kind of grunt and clearing of the throat brings me back to earth. "Uh Agent Booth are you alright?"

It seems that I've fallen into a kind of doze propped up against the wall.

Straightening up quickly and smoothing out my wrinkled tie, I make eye contact with the slightly older, heavy set Agent Philo.

"Yup." I say.

"Sorry to add to your workload buddy," he says chuckling, thrusting me a thick pile of folders, he looks me up and down, taking in my ragged appearance, "So new baby gettin' to ya?"

"Uh, nah…it's just been a long week."

"Heh, sure, I've got four sons myself…So how's the Doctor dealing?"

"What? Bones? Oh she's good, she's faced a lot tougher things then lack of sleep, believe me."

"Well, don't work yourself too hard," he says patting my shoulder a bit roughly and exiting the room.

"Yeah…" I say, not really paying attention to anything he's said. Truthfully, I just want to go home and see my two favorite girls. Quickly grabbing the keys on my desk, I'm one step closer.

Walking into the apartment, a kind of thick silence fills the place.

Moving into the kitchen, I notice that the room is wearing a veil of darkness…my protective instincts heightened, I flick on lights and immediately spot Bones on the couch, spread out in an uncomfortable looking position, mouth slightly agape.

Sighing and forgetting my rush of anxiety I start to look through the mail laid out on the counter.

"Out like a light," I laugh quietly to myself and it's like my voice has acted as an alarm clock because Bones looks up from the couch. She raises her head from the crumpled cushion, hair messy and looking exhausted.

"Hey Booth, you're home early," She says, moving into a sitting position.

"Bones its 7:00." I point the fact out to her, sparing a quick glance at my watch. She gets up in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me? I slept for four hours?"

"I'm jealous."

"Oh please, I'm sure you were, as you put it, 'resting your eyes,' all day at the office Booth," She says fluffing the other pillows that were littering the floor while pulling her hair back into a messy bun. Why are women such accomplished multi-taskers?

"Yeah right Bones, in between the meetings, the case reports, the interrogating, yeah I just took a long energizing nap on my office floor,"

"I'm sure you did-" She says clearly annoyed.

"I was being sarcastic,"

"Well I wasn't…"

"I know. You don't do or get sarcasm." I mumble, we're both at the end of our ropes and our bickering is teetering on fighting.

She glares at me, crosses her arms, and still somehow manages to look incredibly cute.

Continuing to flip through the mail on the counter, I look towards her, "I never said that was a bad thing you know."

"Hmph…" Is the only response I get as she begins to walk towards the baby's room (kindly decorated by Angela, doused completely in pink). "I think it's only fair you get the first shift tonight Booth."

"Wah? How is that fair?" I'm flabbergasted.

"It's your turn to have the first feeding of the night!"

"I come in here and you're taking a nap! I haven't slept for more than three straight hours Bones!"

"And you think I have?"

"Uh yes—what do you call what you were doing when I got home?"

"Your supposed to be the man in this situation Booth, I am the distressing damsel here…" Blinking her pretty blue eyes resembling Bambi.

"Haha! Oh no you don't Missie! All I've heard from you in the past is: 'I can take care of myself,' 'You have alpha male tendencies,' 'Let me drive,' 'I need a gun,' blah, blah, blah, blah, nope. Can't have it both ways Bones." I challenge her, smiling.

Shifting her aggravated gaze into a beautiful grin, the hallway floor creaks as she walks towards me. Loosening my tie and linking her arms around my neck she whispers: "Pretty please?"

"And what do I get if I say, grant your request?" I say, but am quickly answered with a kiss.

"Okay then." I say laughing.

"And I'll throw in a two hour power nap tomorrow when you get home, just to be fair," she says before turning to go check on Alice.

"That doesn't add up to your four hour nap, uneven and unfair Bones,"

"Don't push it Booth…" She says.

She turns sharply around the corner to walk into our daughter's room and I begin to follow her. I am stopped in my tracks as she comes running out and collides with me.

"Booth, Booth where's Alice?"

"What do you mean? She's not in her crib? Bones! What the hell?" I say running to search the room top to bottom.

In the midst of our frenzied panic, a loud resounding knock on the door sends us rushing over to yank it open.

"Whoa you guys okay?"

Hodgins and Angela stand resolutely in the doorway, Angela holding a sleeping Alice in her arms. I turn back to look over my shoulder at Bones and feel a mixture of irritation and amusement.

"Uhhhh right. I forgot, Booth…" She starts in an apologetic tone. "Hodgins and Angela were kind enough to take Alice for a few hours…"

"Uh huh, I'm definitely taking the first shift tonight since you're so 'with it' right now-" I say.

"I am most certainly 'with it,' I remembered…it just took me a second to be reminded." She adds defensively.

"You thought you lost your kid?" Hodgins says, clearly holding back laughter.

"No Hodgins we did not think _we lost our kid_, we just-

"Thought we misplaced her." Bones pipes up. I look back at her again with a smirk, and she smiles crookedly and shrugs.

"Well, thanks Angela," I say gratefully and take the silent bundle from her.

"And Hodgins," Bones adds hastily.

"Thanks for sharing her," Angela says with a wide smile… "She was very well behaved, a little angel…So when are you guys tying the knot?" She says, clearly voicing the thoughts that have popped into her mind.

"Angie I think wedding preparations are the last thing on their mind…"

"Well not just anyone can plan it, you know. I'm your girl Bren, to plan, to coordinate. Oh I can see it now, flowing satin dress, pastel colors in the spring, no wait, maybe bold colors are really more your thing-if you're going for a more cutting edge fall or winter wedding-"

"Goodnight guys," I say, and start to shuffle them out the doorway.

"Bye," Hodgins says as he grabs Angela by the shoulder and begins to usher her down the hallway.

Addressing Bones, Angela gets out one last remark: "You know where to find me!"

Bones and I just look at our sleeping Alice Grace resting peacefully in her crib.

Sighing, "I don't think I'll ever get tired of just looking at her," Bones says and continues to gaze at her in awe.

"Yeah me either, she's perfect…Very well behaved, let's hope that sticks when she's older, if she takes after her mother, then I-"

She lightly taps me with the back of the leg on the behind as if I was getting ready to poke fun at her. "You didn't let me finish Bones," my voice gets quieter and quieter with each word, "If she takes after her mother, then the world will be hers."

Smiling gratefully, she leans her head on my shoulder. We snuggle more closely together and marvel at our sweet, little daughter. She threads her thin warm fingers through my course ones while murmuring: "And if she's anything like her father, then I think she'll give and find love…all around her."

_**Fluffy yes? I can't help myself xD**_


	33. Brennan 17

_**Okay, so here's the next chapter. I'm posting now because my family is coming to visit in a few days and I don't want to forget =) I can't believe this story is almost over, Her! **_

**Brennan**

I can't believe our daughter is now almost a year old. Strange how time flies when you're having fun. Not that the things she does are always hilarious, but she's my daughter and I love her.

We finally got some order in the chaos around her sleeping and eating habits and both Booth and I feel somewhat more rested nowadays. Not completely rested like we were before we had Alice, but better than after the first month.

"_You do realize that if you go through with it, you won't have a good night's rest for about 15 years, right?" _

Angela's comment echoes in my mind. I know what she said, but Alice is definitely worth it. I don't mind giving up that many years for her. She's my angel and I'd do anything for her. I finally get what Booth's been going on about for the past five years, telling me how great it is to be a dad and everything. Not that I'm a father, but I am finally a parent.

Angela and Hodgins have been very kind with their "niece." Angela thinks of Alice that way and I don't mind it. I'm sure she dragged Hodgins into it as well. They have decided, or Angela decided for them, that they will take care of her one night a month at least so that Booth and I can get some rest.

I didn't want to do it at first. Not that I don't trust Angela because I do, but because I thought that Alice was too young. However, they have spent so much time together and Angela has been able to put her down many times before so she should be fine. I hope. Plus, she's a bit over 11 months old now and this is the first night she's going to be away. To calm me down, Angela promised to have her back to me first thing in the morning.

Alice and I are going home from work and I can't help but think how nice it will be with a good night's sleep for once. My daughter spent the day with me because I don't think she's old enough to be placed in daycare or preschool just yet. Booth and I have decided that she should go to some form of daycare after she's turned two or three at the very earliest. She stayed calm most of the day, and it was only when Angela entered that she started fussing a bit to get attention.

When we're at home, I place the child in her crib, temporarily, and go to gather a few things. Angela should be here any time to pick her up.

"Mama." I hear someone calling.

"What?" At first I don't think much of it but answer anyway. Then it hits me.

"Mama." The voice says again. It's Alice. She spoke. She said her first word, and I got to hear it!

I look at her in shock. I can't believe it. She spoke. She actually spoke.

"Mama." She repeats and looks at me.

"I'm here, Alice." I say and pick her up.

There's a knock on the door and I go to answer it. Angela's here to pick up her favorite little girl.

"What are you so happy about?" She asks me when she looks at me, and I realize that I have a stupid grin plastered to my face.

"Alice just said her first word." I say as I keep smiling.

"Really? Now it's Angela's turn to be stunned.

"She said 'mama.'" I say as the proud mother I am.

"Wow." Angela says "Are you sure that you want me to take her?"

"Of course." I say "I trust you Angela."

"Good. I just thought that maybe you'd want to celebrate or something."

"No, it's fine. If it's okay with you." I hurry to add.

"You know how much I love Alice." She says.

I hand her the things and they are on their way, while I get started on dinner. Booth should be home soon.

"Woah." He comes to a halt in the hallway. "What smells so good?"

"I thought we'd celebrate a little." He doesn't know what we're celebrating.

He takes a seat by the table.

"What exactly are we celebrating?" He asks as I put his plate in front of him "A night away from Alice?"

As much as I know he loves our daughter, I also know that he's thankful we can get a night away from her.

"No." I smile "Alice said her first word."

Booth stops.

"What?" He looks as happily surprised as the rest of us did.

"She said 'mama.'" I smile again. "Numerous times."

Booth is on his feet in no time and pulls me onto mine before he kisses me.

"That." He says "Is amazing."

"I know." I look into his eyes. "See? Didn't I tell you it would be beneficial for her to be spoken to like a normal person and not a b…?" I'm cut off by him kissing me again.

"Bones, you're fantastic. You know that."

"Thank you." I say and he kisses me again.

I have a feeling we will be doing something other than getting a good night's rest tonight.

_**Comments? Love it? Hate it? (hopefully the former) Let us know what you think! **_


	34. Booth 17

_**So here comes the fluff of all fluff xD On another note-The Doctor In The Photo was beyond amazing right? Xxx **_

The cherry trees are in full bloom and they line the pathway to the church. Limos and other cars decorate the streets and lively colors of late spring are dazzling. The sound of high heels and a dress train lightly grazing the sun kissed sidewalk can be heard. Satin shimmers as rays of light shine down upon it.

Grand doorways open, music crescendos and the main wedding procession make their way down the aisle of the church. This was a major compromise between us, something she did for me (settling on getting married in a church).

Angela fills the shoes of maid of Honor. She smiles gleefully; flowers are draped about her flowing black hair that is curled gracefully. Jared is best man and stands proudly. Sun streams in from magnificent stained glass windows, shards of color gleaming on the floor. Cam holds Alice in her little pink dress, looking positively fascinated by the ceremony taking place before her.

I wring my hands in nervousness at the altar, doubt lingering in my mind for a minute. Will she really go through with this? Did I push her too far? Music continues to play fluidly in the air and there she is. All doubt is erased in that second as I take in this breathtaking sight. If someone told me in Afghanistan that in two years' time I would be standing here, I wouldn't have believed them.

Framed in sunshine coming from the front doors of the church, Bones links arms with her father Max and holds a thick bouquet of daffodils and other favorite flowers. An elegant veil and train is spread out behind them and the spotlight shifts to the bride. The bodice fits her beautifully; detailed but simple beading adorns the dress in all the right places, finally flaring out at the bottom.

Our eyes lock and smiles are instantaneous. The vibrant fire of her lies behind her eyes.

Vows are relayed with her gaze never leaving mine. "I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride." Love is declared and pink rose petals shower us as we run hand in hand to the limo that will take us to Jeffersonian rose gardens for the after party.

For the past year in particular, waves of how much I care about her have crashed down upon me. Here I am dancing with her, commemorating our day of coming together. We move to the music together, our first dance as a married couple. Our bodies fit together like two puzzle pieces. I grasp her hand while wrapping my arm securely around her waist. She nuzzles closely to my neck.

As the dance comes to an end, her eyes remain closed for a moment as if savoring every second of this shared moment. This woman was once thought to be the cold, ostentatious scientist. She had claimed time and time again that she couldn't love, had made it clear she had preferred to be alone and had declared that she _couldn't change_. She didn't need to change, she just needed to open up and let go. What a long way we have come…

Afternoon shifts to night and numerous people give us pleasant words of congratulations. Cake is cut, and guests eagerly move to the dance floor. I hold Alice in my arms, bop up and down and she smiles with the upbeat rhythm of the music. Bones dances cheerfully with Parker. Alice continues to grin at sentences like: "what a big girl you are getting to be," loving the attention. Luckily, Bones was able to make it so her dress train was shortened as we make the rounds and thank everyone for coming.

The night moves on in great haste. As the celebration begins to conclude, only the closest of friends and family are left on the dance floor.

"Booth." Walking towards me and placing a ring clad hand on my shoulder, she stands beside me. Both of us are unable to abandon the habit of using surname and nickname.

"What?" She says, looking incredulously as I look like I crack a smile.

"It's nothing Bones."

"You'll always be Booth to me Booth. You can't just stop calling me Bones you know."

"Don't worry." I say, so pleased that the nickname has resonated with her for this long, when she once despised it.

"Would you like to take a walk with me?" She walks over and clutches my hand.

"A walk?" I 'm surprised, but not against it.

"Yes. Through the rose gardens for bit. Angela and Hodgins are going to take care of Alice at home."

She leans her head against my shoulder and relaxes into me. I follow suit. We walk in unison into the night air. Tiny, diamond stars begin to reveal themselves among the sparse clouds, twinkling in a kind of rhythm. We walk through thickets of roses beginning to bloom as summertime is getting closer and closer. I can't resist picking one and wordlessly presenting it to her.

"_You deserve a rose, Bones. For everything you do…" _

She smiles in a knowing way and smells in the strong fragrance, its quite fragrant despite its freshness to the world.

Sighing, all she says is: "I just wanted to be with you."

"My thoughts exactly."

Rounding the corner, our walk has come to an end, but as I continue forward, she stops, her face illuminated by moonlight. Our arms break apart for a moment and she looks somewhat nervous.

"Bones?"

"Booth…there is something I have to tell you."

"What is it?" She doesn't say anything, but bites her lower lip.

"You know you can tell me anything." I try to hide the fact that I do feel worried.

"I'm…I'm pregnant." A cloud of silence seems to have fallen between us.

"Booth…please say something."

What she just said finally resonates.

"Oh my god…that is amazing!" I run forward and gather her in a tight hug, "I can't believe it, you are pregnant! Wow…my god." She is instantly relieved by my enthusiasm.

"Bones, this is really going to complete our family. I love you so much," I say, kissing and hugging her in the brightening starlight.

"I love you too…" She says…and in an almost inaudible whisper, adds: "More than anything."

_**And we're almost done folks! Sequel? :D **_


	35. Alice Epilogue

_**Helloooooo everyone! Sorry that the update is so late (I meant to update before Christmas but I can't control my family, and I had to go and do some things, so I'm updating now instead). Before I give you the chapter though, I wanted to give you a belated Christmas present (or Hanukkah gift or whatever festive season you celebrate this time of year=)); Her and I are DOING A SEQUEL =) We've decided to start writing it after New Year's so expect a new story sometime in the early 2011 ;) **_

_**Regarding this chapter, I don't like it when people write using the "baby-language" because that makes it really hard to understand some times, and therefore I haven't done that. However, I've adjusted the grammatical level to that of a child, and I hope it makes some sense because it's really hard to write from a child's PoV since it was so long since I was one (and I haven't been around a 1,2-year old in like 10 years, that's not really the best source to go on either) **_

_**Here it is though; the epilogue, the last chapter, the finale of **_**Moving On**_**…**_

**Alice (Epilogue)**

"Come here, honey" daddy say "you need a bath before bed. You can have your duck"

Love bath. Daddy say there water everywhere.

I love splash. Water going up. Duck swim. I take duck. Splashing fun. Daddy wet now. I laugh.

Daddy wash hair. Not fun. Water eyes. I cry.

"There there, it's gone soon" daddy say. Water gone.

Hair wet. Daddy take towel. Pick me up.

"I think it's time we get you out of the bath, or you're going to end up a raisin"

"Mama say no raisin. Oil on skin gone" I say. Daddy wrong. I no raisin.

Daddy laugh.

"You really are your mother's daughter" daddy say.

"Hi Alice" Mama say. Daddy give Mama me "Did you have a nice bath?"

I nod.

"Daddy wet!" I laugh. Mama laugh too.

"Yes he is"

"Hey, it's not my fault your daughter loves to splash so I get wet"

"My daughter? She's your daughter too. You take some responsibility for her upbringing and bath-routines"

"Mama" I say

"What is it, honey?"

"Feel"

Mama belly big. Mama say baby in there. I no think so.

"Sure Alice, but then it's nightynight. You have daycare tomorrow"

"Okay" I say.

I feel belly. Feel funny.

I laugh.

"Okay Alice" Daddy say "Time for bed. Say nightynight to mommy"

"No"

"Alice, you have to be up early tomorrow"

"No!"

"How about if daddy reads to you?" Mama say

"No"

"How about if mommy sings?" Daddy say

I like Mama sing.

I nod.

Mama take me to bed and sing. I sleepy now. Nightynight.

_**I hope this story was worth reading and that we see you (or hear from you rather) in our next one =)**_

_**XOXO She and Her **_


	36. AN: New Story!

Helloooooo people! =) she here, and I just wanted to let you all know that Her and I have now started posting the sequel to this story. The sequel's called Shadow of a Doubt, and as we did with this story, we made a promotional poster; .com/photos/41189760N02/ , and a promotional vid; .com/watch?v=zkYG5AMtADU so please check them out!

Anyway, a thing that might be good to know… you know how we changed pov's between Brennan and Booth in this one (and Alice in the last chapter)? Well, we've taken it one step further, and we're now including Alice (full time) and Angela as well, so we have 4 pov's. I hope you still want to read it! And now what you've been waiting for, here's the new story; /s/6621547/1/Shadow_of_A_Doubt


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